KUNNOO  SPE KITS 


AND  OTHERS 

IN  DEMIZ  SERIES 


VIES 


oSolle  Corbell  Picket! 


CHAUTAL'yUA. 


MRS.  UENKKAL  UEOKUK  K.  1'ICKETT. 


BERTRAND  8MITQ3 

BOOK  STORE 
J40PACf?ir  AVENV9 
LONG  BEACH    (.ALif, 


"• 


In  De  /DM 3  Series 


Kunnoo  Sperits  and  Others 


Hn  fce  fllMs  Series 

BY  LASALLE  CORBELL  PICKETT 

[Mrs.  General  George  E.  Pickett] 

I.  fmnnoo  Sperfts  an&  ©tbers 

In  de  Miz  Marikle  er  Twinzes 

Kunnoo  Sperits          'Storical  Juels 

ii.  Kule  Xog 

Yule  Log 

De  Ole  Ox  Kyart 

Wuz  Santa  Glaus  a  Nigger  dat  Year? 

De  Bridegroom 

Mammy  Borry  Christmas  Vista 

in.  Ebil  Ege 
Ebil  Eye  Us 

Dat  LiT  Blue  Light     Frenigike 

IV.  Stnns 

Jinny  Deforce  X  Mark 

LiT  Abrup  Supples'  en  Swiffes' 


Bound  in  Decorated  Cloth,  each,  $1.00 
Complete  Set,  4  Volumes  in  Box,  $3.50 

Cbe  Vleale  Co.,  publishers 

431  Eleventh  Street  tClasbimjton,  S).  C. 


A  NEW     ANECDOTE  OF  LINCOLN. 

The  day  after  the  great  fire  following  the  fall  of  Rich- 
mond  Lincoln,  with  a  small  body  guard,  walked  through 
The  sheets  of  the  charred  city.     As  he  approach^ I  the 
corner  occupied  hy  Gen.  Pickett's  residence,  he  direct, 
the  guard  to  wait,  and  to  their  V***^™™ 
steps  at  a  time  up  to  the  door  and  rapped.     The  serv- 
ants had  fled.     The  "Baby  Bride"  had  never  seen  Pres 
dent  Lincoln,  but  she  had  read  his  letters  to  her  hus- 
band  and  from  him  had  learned  to  hold  in  the  highe 
esteem   the  great   northern   President     With   her   baby 
in  her  arms  she  opened  the  door  and  looked  up  at  the 
tall,  gaunt  man  with  the  sad  face  and  uncouth  ways. 
Without  a  word  of  explanation  he  asked: 
"Is  George  Pickett  about?" 

To  hear  her  husband's  name  bereft  of  its  title  by  r 
Yankee,  at  that  moment,  was  almost  the  limit    e; 
cially  as  many  a  rumor  had   floated   about  Richmond 
concerning  the  fate  which  awaited  the  leaders  of  the 
Confederacy. 

With  all  the  proud  dignity  she  could  command  the 
Baby  Bride  replied: 
"Gen.  Pickett  Is  not  at  home." 

The  stranger  seemed  disappointed  and,  as  he  turned  to 
go,  remarked: 

"I  am  Abraham  Lincoln,  an  old  friend  of  George's." 
"Not  President     Lincoln!"      Mrs.  Pickett  exclaimed. 
The  tall  man  shook  his  head,  repeating: 

"No.    Just    Abraham    Lincoln,    George    Pickett's    old 
friend." 

Following  the  instant  promptings  of  the  heart  whi< 
still  governs  her,  "the  Baby  Bride"  thrust  her  baby  boy 
into  the  arms  of  the  gaunt  Yankee,  as  her  best  effort  to 
express  her  veneration  and  confidence,  saying: 

"I  am"  George  Pickett's  wife  and  this  is  George  Pick- 
ett's baby."-[Willard  French,  in  The  World  Today. 


Kunnoo  Sperits  and  Others 


LASALLE  CORBELL  PICKETT 

[MRS.  GENERAL  GEORGE  E.  PICKBTT] 
Author  of  "  Pickett  and  His  Men,"  etc.,  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

M.  MUEDEN  AND  WILL  H.  CHANDLEE 


In  de  IHiz  Series-Uolune  T 


TWlasbington 
THE  NEALE  Co.,  PUBLISHERS 

MCM 


Copyrighted,  1900,  by  The  Ne»le  Co. 


Xovfnglg 

to 
B  bos  anD  bid 


2047^ 


PREFACE 


THE  art  of  printing,  in  bringing  to  the 
world  much  that  is  good,  robbed  it  of  a 
beauty  that  can  never  be  restored  —  the 
priceless  traditions  of  primitive  races.  In 
the  Golden  Age  a  story  descended  from 
father  to  son  through  all  generations 
from  a  beginning  in  a  past  so  remote  that 
its  origin  was  lost  in  dim  antiquity. 
With  the  passage  of  the  years  it  mellowed 
and  deepened  and  grew  vivid  with  sun- 
light as  a  cask  of  wine  that  lies  through 
dim  ages  in  a  vault  will  hold  to  its  heart 
the  glow  of  the  sun  that  warmed  it  into 

1  vii 


Wit  PREFACE 

life  when  it  huiig  upon  the  vine,  until  it 
crystalizes  into  liquid  jewels. 

The  endless  succession  of  pictures  pre- 
sented to  the  mind  widens  the  horizon 
but  lowers  the  zenith  and  limits  the 
nadir.  The  permanence  which  gave 
majesty  to  the  tradition  is  superseded  by 
the  evanescence  of  the  new  thought  which 
shimmers  for  a  moment  upon  the  world 
only  to  pass  away  when  a  new  idea  shall 
have  been  evolved. 

The  tradition  is  garbed  in  its  own 
peculiar  form  of  speech.  The  idea  and 
the  expression  linger  together  with  the 
primitive  races  until  advancing  civiliza- 
tion with  its  subtle  devices  of  writing, 
printing  and  reading  has  invaded  the 
realm  where  poetry  and  imagination  still 
dwell  in  the  twilight  of  the  gods  and  has 
destroyed,  first,  the  original  concept,  and 
then  more  gradually  the  peculiar  idiom 
in  which  that  concept  was  draped. 


PREFACE  IX 

The  African  races  have  retained  their 
ancient  tales  up  to,  or  even  beyond,  the 
incursions  of  progress  into  the  domain  of 
the  primitive  mythologies.  Their  tradi- 
tions preserve  the  invariableness  of  an 
antique  statue  upon  which  succeeding 
generations  look  with  admiration  and  de- 
light, but  which  never  lifts  an  eyelid  nor 
changes  a  pose  in  recognition  of  the 
changing  fashions  of  the  day.  ' '  En  he 
put  his  foot  dar,"  says  a  youthful  and 
inexperienced  raconteur.  "  No,  no, 
chile,"  hastily  corrects  the  gray-haired 
sire,  ' '  He  put  his  foot  yer. ' '  The  story 
can  not  proceed  until  the  foot  is  put 
"  yer,"  as  it  always  has  been  since  the 
beginning. 

When  an  ambitious  master  of  the  newly 
evolved  arts  fancies  that  he  has  discovered 
that  the  foot  was  put  "dar"  instead  oi 
1 '  yer  "  he  is  regarded  as  a  savant  of  great 
glory,  and  the  whole  intellectual  and 


X  PREFACE 

scientific  world  thereafter  sees  that  mem- 
ber in  its  newly  authorized  position,  and 
if  any  man  dares  behold  it  anywhere  else 
he  is  immediately  relegated  to  barbarism. 
The  primitive  African  mind  regards  an 
effort  to  change  the  location  of  that  tradi- 
tional foot  as  heretical  and  profane.  Thus 
with  each  minor  incident  and  movement 
in  the  entire  story. 

The  philosophy  of  the  old-time  African 
servitor  was  of  the  most  consoling  char- 
acter. He  preached  the  gospel  of  con- 
tentment, perhaps  as  divine  as  any  other 
principle  of  the  moral  law,  comforting  in 
this  manner  those  who  railed  against  their 
limitations  : 

"You  'bleeged  ter  be  satusfied  wid 
w'at  you's  got.  Nobody  hain't  got  ebby- 
t'ing  in  dis  worl'.  Now,  dar's  de  light- 
nin'  bug,  he  hain't  got  no  stinger.  En 
dar's  de  moskeeter,  he  hain't  got  no  lamp. 


PREFACE  XI 

You  see,  dey  kyan'  bofe  hab  de  same 
t'ing." 

To  us  who  learned  the  dialect  of  the 
old-time  slave  with  the  first  lispings  of 
our  untrained  tongues,  there  has  come  no 
other  language  to  usurp  its  place  in  our 
hearts.  It  is  a  part  of  the  sunlight  of 
childhood,  the  radiance  of  which  yet 
lights  our  pathway  to  the  ever-nearing 
west.  It  belongs  with  the  joy  of  youth, 
like  the  fragrance  of  the  flowers  that 
bloomed  in  the  old  home  garden  and  the 
trill  of  the  birds  that  made  melody  for  us 
in  the  days  when  the  world  was  full  of 
music,  before  we  had  remotely  dreamed 
that  time  would  set  the  song  of  our  lives 
to  minor  chords  and  that  our  joyous  lyrics 
of  welcome  for  the  living  would  sometime 
change  to  dirges  of  farewell  to  the  dead. 

We  of  the  old-time  South  are  far  away 
from  the  nights  of  mystic  fascination 
when,  with  the  curiosity  of  keen-eyed, 


Xll  PREFACE 

sharp-eared  childhood,  sitting  in  the 
deepening  gloom  of  twilight,  watching 
the  sparks  from  the  flaming  logs  go  glit- 
tering up  the  chimney,  wondering  what 
message  from  the  glowing  heart  of  the 
fire  they  carried  up  to  the  pale  stars,  we 
listened  to  some  awesome  tradition  from 
the  lips  of  an  old  white-haired  ' '  Uncle, ' ' 
a  relic  of  his  own  childhood  and  of  many 
childhoods  previous  to  his.  Or  it  might 
be  some  pathetic  story  of  his  own  exper- 
ience that  would  chain  us  there  until 
nurse  came  for  the  little  ones,  and  earnest 
admonitions  from  parents  or  guardians 
would  warn  older  young  people  that 
further  indulgence  would  not  be  granted. 
We  have  read  many  a  popular  novel 
since  then,  many  a  scientific  treatise 
artistically  veiled  in  iridescent  romanti- 
cism for  the  ensnaring  of  the  unwary, 
many  a  sociological  dissertation  cun- 
ningly done  into  fiction  to  render  it 


PREFACE  x^i^ 

palatable  to  our  frivolous  tastes,  but 
never  have  we  met  with  such  enchanting 
literary  works  as  those  which  beguiled 
the  mystic  evenings  of  plantation  child- 
hood. 

I  have  made  my  dialect,  if  I  may  so 
call  it,  phonetically  genuine.  The  final 
consonant  is  rarely  sounded.  Short 
words  and  possessives  are  slighted,  and 
the  constant  elision,  though  musical, 
makes  it  difficult.  "R"  is  generally 
pronounced  "  ah  " — "  Spare, ' '  "  spyah, ' ' 
etc. 

The  negroes  are  fond  of  long  words 
often  making  a  misapplication  of  them. 
"  Reverent,"  for  instance,  they  use  for 
' '  violent "  or  "  excessive. "  "  Stronagin ' ' 
is  another  favorite  expression,  which  com- 
bines the  words  "extraordinary,"  "as- 
tounding, "  "  strong, ' '  and  ' '  strange. ' ' 
' '  Projeckin' ' '  is  yet  another,  which 
means  not  only  to  fool  or  play  with,  to 


XIV  PREFACE 

presume  to  interfere  with,  but  to  take  an 
unjustifiable,  unwarranted  liberty  with. 

They  use  many  obsolete  words,  such  as 
' '  deracinate, "  "  ineluctable, ' '  and  many 
Anglo-Saxon  forms,  such  as  "  hit  "  for 
"it,"  "tote"  for  "carry,"  and  "atter" 
for  "  after,"  and  double  negatives  always  ; 
such  as,  "  You  hain't  seen  nobody  'roun' 
yer  w'at  don'  want  ter  hire  nobody,  is 
you  ?  " 

I  have  tried  to  portray  their  quaint  and 
homely  humor,  their  strange  exaltation 
of  mind  and  temperament,  their  pathetic 
and  sympathetic  natures,  their  supersti- 
tions and  sentiments,  their  strange  char- 
acteristics. They  like  generally  to  make 
the  weaker  side  victorious,  mischief  to 
triumph  over  malice,  and  helplessness  a 
virtue. 

They  are  peculiarly  reticent  about  cer- 
tain things.  They  seldom  speak  freely 
to  a  stranger,  and  never  relate  their 


PREFACE  XV 

legends  to  one  whom  they  do  not  know 
well. 

Herbert  H.  Smith,  author  of  "  Brazil 
and  the  Amazons,"  ascribes  the  origin  of 
many  of  their  stories  to  the  South  Ameri- 
can Indians, — but  where  did  our  negro 
come  in  contact  with  them  ?  The  Vis- 
conde  de  Rio  Branco,  the  Brazilian  his- 
torian, proved  a  relationship  between 
them  and  the  ancient  Egyptians  and  Tupi 
Indians.  The  animal  stories  and  legends 
were  certainly,  however,  brought  from 
Africa,  but  whether  they  originated  there 
or  with  the  Anahs,  or  with  yet  older  na- 
tions, is  unknown.  Whether  the  Indians 
got  them  from  the  negroes  or  from  earlier 
sources  is  also  unknown.  ' '  Br'er  Rabbit ' ' 
can  be  traced  back  to  the  stories  of  the 
Buddha.  The  Buddhists  regarded  the 
hare  always  with  the  greatest  possible 
veneration,  and  Jataka  is  but  the  Tar 
Baby  story  revived. 


xvi  PREFACE 

The  negro  has  no  linguistic  laws.  He 
imitates  as  best  he  can  what  he  hears. 
He  does  not  originate,  but  his  imitations 
are  often  so  grotesque,  and  so  far  from  the 
actual  thing  which  he  is  attempting  to 
imitate,  as  to  pass  among  unaccustomed 
hearers  as  original  expressions  evolved 
from  his  own  consciousness.  His  dialect 
varies,  also,  with  climate  and  geograph- 
ical locality.  The  speech  of  Virginia  is 
not  exactly  like  that  of  many  other 
Southern  States,  and  the  lingo  in  vogue 
on  the  rice  plantations  of  the  Sea  Islands 
of  the  South  Atlantic  States  and  the  dia- 
lect of  the  wheat  fields  and  cotton  planta- 
tions have  a  very  marked  difference. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  character- 
istics of  the  old-time  Southern  blacks  was 
a  gentleness  of  voice  which  seemed  to 
have  persisted  through  all  the  generations 
which  had  intervened  between  them  and 
their  origin  in  a  languorous  oriental 


PREFACE  XVli 

country.  The  pathetic  sweetness  which 
made  the  old  plantation  melodies  the 
most  touching  music  known  to  western 
ears  was  no  less  noticeable  in  their  con- 
versational tones.  With  a  tropical  soft- 
ness of  nature  they  instinctively  avoided 
all  harsh  sounds,  sometimes  to  the  in- 
finite mystification  of  unaccustomed 
minds.  In  their  smooth  phraseology, 
"  eider-down  "  was  readily  converted  into 
1 '  iodine ' '  without  the  interposition  of  any 
scientific  process  known  to  chemistry. 

This  pathetically  musical  speech  is  fast 
dying  away  with  the  old-time  slave,  the 
old-time  master,  the  old-time  life.  To 
one  in  whose  memory  it  yet  lingers  in 
softest  cadences  it  is  a  pleasant  task  to 
jot  down  all  of  it  that  can  be  transferred 
to  the  printed  page.  The  characteristic 
tones  will  not  remain,  the  quaint  ex- 
pression is  lacking,  the  half  unconscious 
gestures,  the  mystic  swayings  to  and  fro, 


XVlll  PREFACE 

will  all  vanish  with  the  actors  in  the  old 
plantation  drama.  There  will  yet  linger 
only  the  silent  printed  form  to  convey  to 
the  future  some  idea  of  the  olden  dialect, 
when  the  western  gate  shall  have  swung, 
open  for  the  last  of  those  to  whom  that 
speech  was  a  loved  familiar  sound,  and 
they  who  told  the  quaint  old  stories 
and  they  who  listened  shall  all  alike 
have  passed  into  the  glory  beyond  the 
sunset. 

LASAI<I,B  CORBELL  PICKBTT. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

PREFACE        7 

IN  DE  Miz 21 

MAKSE  TOM'S  KUNNOO  SPERITS    .        .       43 
DE  MARIKLE  ER  TWINZES        .        .  83 

'STORICAL  JUELS 117 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facing 
Page 

Portrait  of  the  author  .         .         .     Frontispiece 

" 'Twuz  a  long  time  ago  "        ...  21 

"  In  the  Dismal  Swamp "     ...  43 

"  I  crope  ter  de  do',  en  knock  soff  "  .         .  83 
"  De  po'  dorg  sot  en  watched  'em,  but 
needer   did  he  bark  ner  needer  did 

he  whine" 117 

xix 


'Twuz  a  long  time  ago." 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  AND   OTHERS 


IN  DE  MIZ 

WILL  those  of  my  readers  who  do 
not  know  the  ways  and  hearts  of 
my  colored  people  of  the  Old  South 
kindly  read  first  this  explanation,  or 
extenuation,  as  it  may  be,  of  my  old 
black  mammy's  origin  of  her  race? 

As  I  wrote  "In  de  Miz "  memory 
took  me  back  across  the  years  to  the 
time  when  life's  water  was  wine, 
tinted  golden  with  the  sunlight  of 
morning,  sparkling  with  the  jewels  of 
youth  and  love.  It  made  me  a  child 


22  IN   DE   MIZ 

again,  looking  up  into  the  dear,  dusky 
face  of  that  beloved  black  mammy,  lis- 
tening with  my  unhurt,  unclouded 
faith  to  the  folklore  of  her  speculative 
midnight  race,  as  she  solved  in  her 
own  random,  shadowy  way  the  dim 
mysteries  of  creation,  giving  expres- 
sion to  thoughts  that  strike  reason 
dumb,  while  her  passiveness,  obedi- 
ence, wise  submission,  loyalty  and 
love  made  no  quiritation  of  wrongs  to 
right. 

There  was  no  word  held  in  more 
reverential  love  and  fear  by  the  faith- 
ful Southern  slave  than  the  one  word 
1  *  Master. ' '  The  divided  service  of  his 
soul  was  between  his  Master  and  his 
God.  His  religion,  fraught  with  the 
supernatural,  was  as  broad  as  the  nar- 
row grasp  of  his  poor  mind  could  com- 


IN   DE   MIZ  2J 

pass.  His  conception  of  the  greatness 
of  God  was  measured  by  his  crude  and 
untrained  brain. 

In  his  eyes  the  taking  of  a  "chaw" 
iof  tobacco  was  a  dignified,  luxurious 
custom,  and  one  liberally  indulged  in, 
as  a  rule,  by  his  paragon  of  perfection, 
the  Southern  master. 

To  have  said  u  Lawd,"  in  speaking 
of  Him  to  little  children,  without  the 
prefix  of  the  word  "Marse"  (Master) 
would  have  been  unwonted  familiarity 
with  the  omnipotent,  all-wise,  all- 
merciful  Great  Being.  Nor  was  the 
old-time  slave  wanting  in  respect  and 
reverence  in  the  frequent  use  of  His 
Name  when  speaking  to  those  of  his 
own  age,  always  calling  upon  it  to 
emphasize  or  verify  a  statement  or  ex- 
press surprise. 


24  IN    DE    MIZ 

There  was  no  want  of  reverence  in 
his  comparison  of  his  Heavenly  Father 
with  his  earthly  Master,  and  the  rapt 
co-partnership  which  he  conceived  to 
exist  between  those  two  almost  equally 
sacred  beings ;  but,  instead  thereof,  a 
sublime  recognition  in  his  simple  heart 
of  the  fellowship  of  God  and  man,  and 
an  intuitive  conception  of  two-ness 
as  one-ness,  of  the  incompleteness  of 
man  apart  from  God — verifying  the 
poet's  thought : 

"  So  close  is  glory  to  our  dust ; 
So  near  is  God  to  man." 


IN   DE   MIZ  25 


'"DEED,  Honey,  hit  is  de  gospel 
trufe,  leas' wise  dat's  de  way  I  yearn 
hit  tole,  en  I  hain'  t  nebber  yearn  hit 
'sputed.  '  Tain' t  no  use  er  deze  yer  nig- 
gers bein'  so  a'rified  'bout  hit,  needer. 
En  w'at  I  yearn  you  gits  straight  jes'  lak 
I  yearn  hit,  en  dat  is — Dat  ef 'twan't  fer 
de  w'ite  folks  dar  wouldn'  be  no  nig- 
%ers,  dat  is,  dar  wouldn'  be  none  ter 
year  tell  er. 

u  'Twuz  a  long  time  ago,  way  in  de 
beginnin',  w'en  dar  wan't  no  funda- 
ment en  no  plantashuns,  en  dar  wa'n't 
but  jes'  only  one  pusson  a  libin'  ober  yer 
den,  en  He  wuz  Marse  Jesus'  Pa.  En 
He,  mun  !  wa'n't  only  de  goodes'  en  de 
gre'tes',  de  outnes'  en  mos'  surwiguses, 
but  He  wuz  de  mos'  stronges',  mos' 


26  IN   DE   MIZ 

swifies'  pusson  ebber  wuz.  Ebbyt'ing 
den  wuz  His'n,  en  dough  He  wuz  dat 
rich  en  had  so  much  persesshuns 
b'longin'  ter  'im,  He  could  tu'n  His 
han'  en  mek  any t' ing  He  sot  His  min' 
'pon — en  mek  hit  out  er  nuttin',  at 
dat. 

"De  firs'  en  fo'mus'  t'ingHe  meked 
dough  wuz  His  bes',  en  co'se  hit  ought 
ter  be,  w'en  you  comes  ter  dat,  kaze 
'twuz  His  own  home — Heaben. 

u  Atter  dat  He  meked  de  ye'th  en  de 
sea  en  all  dat  'In  de  Miz,'  en  den 
res'ed  Hisse'f  de  Sebenf  day  eu  hal- 
lowed hit. 

"But  dar  hain't  nobody nebberyeard 
nuttin'  'tall  'bout  dem  t'ings  dat's  *  In 
de  Miz.'  Per,  you  see,  'twuz  lak  dis, 
w'en  Marse  Lawd  sp'iled  any  t' ing  He 
wuz  a  mekin'  er,  no  matter  w'at-some- 


IN   DE   MIZ  27 

ebber  hit  wuz,  He  flung  hit  ret  smack 
'In  de  Miz,'  kaze  ef  He  hadn',  He 
couldn'  a  said  w'en  He  wuz  done  en 
thoo  wid  all  His  wuk  dat  'He  saw 
'twuz  good.'  Well,  hit  wuz  gittin* 
to'ds  de  een'  er  de  week  en  moughty 
nigh  on  ter  Sunday,  en  Marse  Lawd 
'gun  ter  study  'bout  w'at  He  wuz 
gwine  ter  mek  naix  en  a  'terminin'  in 
His  min'  w'ile  He  wuz  a  studdyin' 
dat  His  las'  piece  er  wuk  should  out- 
shine all  de  yudder  pieces.  Well, 
w'ile  He  wuz  mekin'  up  His  min'  en 
ponderin'  'bout  w'at  'twould  be,  He 
tuck  de  pail  en  went  'long  ter  de  well 
ter  draw  some  water,  w'en  jes'  'fo'  He 
let  de  bucket  down,  lo-en-beholes !  He 
seed  Hisse'f  'fleeted.  Ez  soon  ez  ebber 
He  got  ober  His  'miration  en  'stonish- 
meut  at  de  moughty  grangerments  en 


28  IN   DE   MIZ 

grannificents  er  de  han'some,  bufeful 
'flection  dat  He  seed  a  lay  in'  dar  flat  on 
de  top  er  de  deep,  cool,  smoobe  water, 
He  stop  studdyin'  en  t'inkin'  en  'low 
dat,  ez  long  ez  He  tu'nt  out  so  many 
good  jobs,  He  b'leebed  He  'd  try  en 
juplicate  dat  lakness  dat  He  jes'  seed 
'fleeted  er  Hisse'f. 

"  Den  I  s'pose  He  t'ink,  too,  w'eii 
He  look  'roun'  'im,  en  seed  all  de  lan's 
en  chatt'l  'state  en  y udder  prop'ty  dat 
b' longs  ter  'im  dat  hit's  a  moughty  po' 
bee  dat  don'  mek  mo'  honey  dan  he 
wants  fer  hisse'f.  But  dat's  needer  yer 
ner  needer  dar,  fer  'twan't  mo'  dan 
'cided  'tween  Hisse'f  en  His  own  min' 
'fo'  He  stop  foolin'  en  lookin'  at  Hisse'f 
en  tuck  en  drawed  de  water  up  quick, 
en  went  'long  in  a  trot  en  ondo  de 
wuk-shop  do'  en  git  out  His  tools 


IN   DE   MIZ  29 

ag'in,  en  tuck  some  er  de  ve'y  ye'th 
whar  He  meked  a  We'n'sday,  en  rollt 
up  His  sleebes  en  shobed  His  hat 
back  offn  His  forehead,  tuck  a  chaw 
er  terbacker  en  went  ter  wuk.  En 
den  en  dar  He  meked  a  couple  er  In- 
'iz-Images,  meked  'em  jes'  lak  de  one 
He  seed  'fleeted  in  de  well  (He  allers 
meked  two  er  de  same  kin'  er  t'ing, 
you  know),  en  He  meked  dem  In-'iz- 
Images  perzackly  fer  de  worl'  jes' 
lak  He  wuz  Hisse'f— jes'  ez  purty,  en 
jes'  ez  fat  en  plump,  en  jes'  ez  lakly 
lookin',  too.  Kaze  de  Lawd  ain't  got 
nar'  sumptions,  stingyfied,  jealousome 
bone  in  His  whole  body. 

"Bimeby,  atter  He  git  thoo,  He 
call  Marse  Gabe,  dat  wuz  His  oberseer, 
de  haid  man  'bout  de  place  w'at  bosses 
de  han's,  en  tole  'im  ter  g'long  fotch 


30  IN   DE   MIZ 

de  w'eelbarr'  en  tek  bofe  dem  dar  In- 
'iz-Images  en  sot  'em  in  de  sun  whar 
dey  could  be  a  dryin'  derese'fs.  Dey 
wa'n't  name  mens  w'en  Marse  Gabe 
firs'  seed  'em,  dey  wuz  name  In-'iz- 
Images,  you  know,  'twel  atter  dey'd 
dried  derese'fs. 

"Well,  sub,  de  way  Marse  Gabe 
open  his  eyes  en  mek  'miration  w'en 
he  seed  w'at  he  did  see,  gin  'im  pop 
eyes  fer  de  res'  er  his  life,  but  he 
knowed  his  place,  dough,  en  he  ain't 
say  nuttin',  sep'n  jes'  ter  totch  his  hat 
en  scrope  his  foots  en  bow  his  haid, 
kaze  he  wuz  moughty  aspeckful,  en 
say,  sezzee  :  '  Yas,  suh  ;  yas,  suh. ' 

4 '  Den  Marse  Gabe  tuck  up  de  two 
In-'iz-Images  jes'  ez  keerful  ez  he  kin, 
but  he  wuz  skeered  er  'em,  dough,  en 
tarrified  widin  a  inch  er  his  life,  leas'- 


IN   DE   MIZ  31 

wise  his  knees  wuz  moughty  sheky  en 
he  had  a  moughty  funny  feelin'  in  de 
nayberhood  er  his  gizzard  (ef  he  wa'n't 
skeered  en  tarrified),  but  he  tuck  'em, 
dough,  en  lay  'em  down  easy  en  mil' 
in  de  bottom  er  de  w'eelbarr';  den  he 
spit  in  his  han's  en  amble  off  in  a  kind 
er  pace-trot-ca-pluck-a-te-pluck,  ca- 
pluck-a-te-pluck,  ontwel  he  corned  up 
'long  side  er  de  apple  dryer,  whar  de 
sun  wuz  hottes'.  Den  he  tuck  'em  out, 
jes'  ez  gingerly  en  keerful  ez  ef  dey'd 
been  a  pyar  er  sneks,  en  sot  'em  up 
'g'inst  de  behime  side  er  de  apple 
dryer  en  lef  'em,  den  went  'long 
'boutn  his  yudder  bizness — a  sorter 
foolin'  en  dallyin'  roun'  ontwel  his 
Marser  lay  down  ter  tek  His  nap  lak 
He  mos'  in  gen'ally  do  ebby  ebenin'. 
u  His  Marser  wa'n't  'feared  er  ober- 


32  IN   DE   MIZ 

sleepin'  Hisse'f,  needer.  Nor,  suh ! 
He  knowed  p'intedly  datHe  wuz  gwine 
ter  wek  up  perzackly  ter  de  ve'y  minit 
dat  His  In-'iz-Images  wuz  dry  'nuff  fer 
'im  ter  wuk  on  ag'in,  w'ich  He  did, 
sho-nuff. 

"Den  He  call  Marse  Gabe  en  tole 
'im  fer  ter  g'long  en  fetch  dem  In-'iz- 
Images  fer  'im  ter  put  some  bref  in,  en 
finish  up.  Marse  Gabe  tuck  off  his  hat 
ag'in,  pull  his  fo'lock  en  scrope  his  ret 
foots  back'ards  en  bow  low,  jes'  lak  he 
did  'fo',  en  say,  'Yas,  Suh,'  en  amble 
off  ag'in  wid  de  w'eelbarr',  ca-pluck- 
a-te-pluck.  But  lawz-er-mussy  'pon 
us  !  Wen  Marse  Gabe  git  ter  de  place 
whar  he  knowed  he  lef  dem  In-'iz- 
Images,  dar  wa'n't  but  one  er  'em  dar. 
He  look  ebbywhar,  but  'tain't  no  use, 
he  kyan'  fin'  but  jes'  byarly  de  one  dat 


IN    DE    MIZ  33 

he  seed  w'en  he  firs'  driv  hisse'f  up. 
He  look  en  he  look  en  he  look,  den  he 
scrotch  his  haid,  en  studdy,  en  look 
ag'in,  monst'ous  pestered  'boutn  hit, 
too,  en  a  wukkin'  his  thunkin'  ma- 
chine for  all  he  knowed. 

"He  fotch  bofe,  en  dar  wa'n't  but 
one — en  w'ile  he  wuz  a  kalkulatin' 
how  dat  could  a  poserble  happen, 
w'edder  some  er  dem  varments,  er 
beasteses,  er  cropiii'  t'ings  dat  wuz 
rneked  dat  same  Saddy  mawnin'  could 
er  kotch  de  missin'  one,  en  wuz  a 
jawin'  ter  hisse'f  en  a  sayin'  dat  folks 
w'ats  allers  pesterin'  en  bodderin' 
'longw'at  ain't  dar'n  en  w' at  dey hain't 
got  no  bizness  wid,  ought  ter  nebber 
come  ter  no  good  een',  en  needer  ought 
beasteses  en  varments  ez  ter  dat,  no 
mo'  dan  real  pussons ;  en  w'ile  he  wuz 


34  IN   DE   MIZ 

a  jawin'  en  a  lookin'  he  yeard  Marse 
Lawd's  woice  a  callin'  out  loud  : 

"  'Gabe,  G-a-b-e  ;  you-u-u  Gabe, 
come  'long  dar  wid  you,  you  lazy  ros- 
kal,  you!  Wat  you  trollopin'  'long 
dar  fer,  suh,  a  was' in'  all  my  time? 
You  gwine  ter  tek  all  day  ter  fetch  my 
wuk  ter  me,  suh?  You  better  come 
'long  'fo'  you  fin'  out  who  is  w'ich,  en 
w'ich  is  who  !' 

"Marse  Gabe  tromble  all  ober  lak  a 
askin  leaf,  but  he  knowed  he  ain't  got 
no  time  ter  fool  'long  dat  losted  one  no 
mo';  he  knowed  he  wuz  'bleeged  ter 
git  up  en  git.  So  he  tuck  de  one  dat 
wuz  lef'  en  tuck  hisse'f  off  en  kyard 
'im  'long  jes'  ez  fas'  ez  he  kin  trot. 
He  wuz  fyarly  kivered  wid  mud  en 
inoughty  nigh  out  er  win'  w'en  he 
brung  up  'longside  er  de  wuk-shop 
en  hist  'im  out 


IN    DE   MIZ  35 

14  En  I  tell  you  he  lay  moughty  low, 
en  hain't  say  nuttin'  'tall  'bout  de 
y udder  one  whar  he  couldn'  fin',  kaze 
he  thunk  mebbe  Marse  Lawd  mought 
er  fergit  Hisse'f  'bout  dar  bein'  two  er 
'em,  but  He  didn'.  No,  mun  !  dat 
He  didn'. 

41 W  y ,  dey  say  dat  Marse  Lawd  is  dat 
Uickular,  dat  He  tuck  a  count  er  all  de 
sparrows  en  number  de  ve'y  hyars  er 
dar  haids  w'en  He  meked  'em.  En 
w'en  He  seed  dar  wa'n't  but  one  er  de 
In-'iz-Images  whar  He'd  jes'  done  en 
meked  He  cl'ared  up  His  th'oat,  en  talk 
biggerty,  jes'  lak  He  did  once  To',  long 
time  alter  dis  time,  dough.  Dey  wuz 
out  er  do's  den  in  de  gyarden,  in  de  cool 
er  de  day,  en  'twuz  dat  same  day  dey 
said  dat  Marse  Adam  en  his  wife  hid 
derese'fs,  en  dey  say,  too,  dat  dat  time 
you  could  year  His  woicea  walkin'. 


36  IN   DR   MIZ 

"Well,  He  crowded  His  eyebrows 
up  tergedder,  sorter  shet  up  bofe  eyes 
kinder  surwigus  en  fierce  lak,  en  said, 
sezzee  :  '  Boy  !  Whar  is  dat  yudder 
one?'  Marse  Gabe  look  raoughty 
sheepish  en  slunk  back'ards.  'Twuz 
tetch-en-go,  rnun  !  wid  'im,  I  tell  you. 
So  he  spuck  moughty  humble  en 
feeble  lak,  en  say,  *  Wuz  dar  two  er 
'em  ?  '  Well,  de  wu'd  wa'n't  mo'  dan 
out  er  his  mouf,  w'en  he  seed  'twan't 
no  use  projeckin'  wid  Marse  Lawd, 
kaze,  '  twix  de  bug  en  de  bee-martin, 
Hain't  hard  ter  tell  w'ich  is  gwine  ter 
git  kotch,'  so  he  up  en  tell  all  'bout 
hit,  how  'ticular  he  wuz,  how  he  sot 
bofe  er  'em  down  tergedder,  tetchiu' 
wunner-nudder,  sides  by  sides,  en  how 
he  went  'long  den,  'tendin'  ter  his 
yudder  bizness,  en  how  dat  w'en  he 


IN    DE   MIZ  37 

come  'long  back  ag'in  ter  fetch  'em 
bofe  jes'  lak  lie  wuz  tole  dar  wa'n't 
but  jes'  byarly  one  ter  behole,  en  he 
'  low  dat  he  wuz  gwine  ter  keep  on  a 
lookin',  dough,  ontwel  he'd  foun'  de 
y udder  one,  w'en  he  yeard  hisse'f 
called. 

"DenMarse  Lawd  look  'dignant, 
His  woice  ro',  de  ye'th  shuck,  en  He 
'spon'  out  loud  :  'Gabe,  Gabe,  go 
fetch  dat  yudder  missin'  one, '  Den 
Marse  Gabe  say,  jes'  lak  de  patter- 
roller  wuz  behime  'im,  'Yas,  Suh,  I 
gwine  ret  'long,  Suh,'  en  he  huddle 
hisse'f  up  tergedder  sorter  skittish,  lak 
he  wuz  a  dodgin'  sump'n,  en  went 
'long  back  en  tuck  all  de  pains  he  kin. 
He  look  firs'  one  side  en  den  de  yudder, 
den  he  bat  his  eyes  en  hong  his  haid 
down  moneful  en  perjected,  en  wuz  jes' 


38  IN   DE  MIZ 

gwine  ter  gin  up  de  s'arch,  en  hump 
hisse'f  en  g'long  back  en  git  w'at  he 
knowed  dar  wuz  fer  'im,  w'en  he  on- 
bat  his  eyes  en  drapped  'em  down  en 
looked,  en,  lo-en-beholes  !  dar  crouched 
all  up  in  a  lump  ker-flap  'pon  de 
groun'  wuz  dat  yudder  missin'  one. 
W'y,  a  li'l'  mo'  en  Marse  Gabe  would 
er  trompled  on  'im. 

"  Den  he  'skivered  dat  he  wuz 
bu'nt  brack  es  a  coal,  mouf  wide  open, 
w'ite  teef  a  shinin'  en  jambya  poun'  er 
wool  on  his  haid  whar  de  sun  done  all 
kink  up.  'Fas'  asleep,  too,  I  'clar'  ter 
grashus,'  sezzee.  I  s'poze  he'd  done 
git  ter  noddin'  en  fall  ober,  er  he 
mought  er  git  kotch  wid  a  emptiness 
in  de  pit  er  de  stummuck  a  hoanin* 
atter  sump'n  t'  eat.  But  anyhow,  dar 
he  wuz,  jes'  lak  I  tell  you,  en  some 


IN  DE   MIZ  39 

folks  do  say,  dat  dat's  de  'kazion  er 
niggers  bein'  so  sleepy  h aided  ter  dis 
day,  dat  dey  wuz  meked  dat-a-way  at 
firs\  Well,  Marse  Gabe  he  crope 
down  on  his  all-fo's  en  tuck  de  poj 
brack  t'ing  up  en  put  'im  in  de  w'eel- 
barr',  en  amble  off  ag'in  en  kyar  'im 
'long  ter  Marse  Lawd  jes'  ez  fas'  ez  he 
kin  trot,  ca-pluck-a-te-pluck,  ca-pluck- 
a-te-pluck. 

"  Now,  den,  w'en  Marse  L*awd  look 
en  seed  dat  His  wuk  wuz  all  sp'iled  en 
mint,  dat  de  sun  had  done  en  bu'nt 
hit  ez  brack  ez  a  charcoal,  He  shuck 
His  haid,  en  bat  His  eyes,  en  tu'n  up 
His  nose  kinder disgustin'  lak,  en  say: 
1  He  ain't  wuff  foolin'  away  my  time 
wid,  en  a  boderin'  ober,  so  tek  'im, 
Gabe — tek  'im,  en  g'long  en  fling  'im 
"In  de  Miz."» 


40  IN   DE   MIZ 

"  By  clat  time  Marse  Lawd  wuz  done 
en  thoo  wid  polishin'  up  en  puttin' 
bref  in  dat  firs'  one,  en  you  know, 
mini!  he  wuz  a-stan'in'  up  dar  'long 
side  er  Marse  Lawd  lookin'  pariently 
lak  he  thunk  he  wuz  in  a  crowd,  wid 
his  han's  in  his  britches-pocket,  hat 
cocked  on  one  side,  smokin'  a  seegyar. 
En  he  wuz  talkin'  moughty  uppity  en 
moughty  familyus  lak  ter  Marse  Lawd, 
too.  Yas,  suh  !  jes'  lak  he  wuz  some- 
body considerbul  a' ready,  a  puttin'  on 
a'rs  en  a  wigglin'  de  ashes  ofF'n  de 
een'  er  his  seegyar  wid  his  li'l'  finger. 
En  mo'  dan  dat,  suh  ;  he  tuck  en  bo- 
daciously  open  up  de  confab  hisse*f~w\& 
Marse  Lawd  'bout  his  po'  bu'nt  pard- 
ner  whar  wuz  a  lyin'  dar  in  de  bottom 
er  de  w'eelbarr'  en  whar  in  a  ininit 
mo'  en  Marse  Gabe  would  er  had  Mm 


IN   DE   MIZ  41 

flung  smack  '  In  de  Miz,'  en  spuck  up 
en  say,  jes'  ez  'sumptions,  too,  ez  you 
please,  bowin'  en  a  smilin'  en  twis'in' 
his  merstach  :  'Ah  !  'skuze  me,  Lawd, 
'skuze  me,'  sezzee,  'but,  ah — don' 
'stroy  'im,  please ;  don'  fling 'im  "  In  de 
Miz" ;  ah — go  on — go  on  en  finish  'im 
up,  en  gi'  'im  terme  ter  wait  on  me.' 
"En  so  de  Lord  did.  He  retched 
ret  up,  en  git  His  kya'vin'  knife  down 
ag'in,  en  kya'ved  offn  de  looses'  er  de 
bu'nt  po'tions  en  den  tuck  some  san' 
paper  en  polish  'im,  en  fix  'im  up 
de  bcs>  He  kin  outn  a  bad  job,  en  gin 
'im  ter  de  w'ite  man  ter  wait  on  'im. 
Dey  named  'im  'Nigger,'  kaze  dey 
spuck  de  Greek  fore'n  langwidge  in 
dem  days,  en  brack  wuz  'nigger.'  En 
Marse  Lawd  gin  dis  nigger  In-'  iz-Image 
ter  de  w'ite  man  ter  wait  on  'im  den  in 


42  IN   DE   MIZ 

de  ve'y  begmuin*  en  he's  been  a  waitin' 
on  lim  ebber  sence,  fum  dat  time  forre'd 
ontwel  dis  present  day.  En  hit's  one 
er  deze  yer  jobs  w'ats  gwine  ter  las'  a 
long  time — yas,  suh,  jes'  ez  long  ez  de 
Ham-begats  kin  Ham-begat  mo'  Ham- 
begats,  en  don*  you  fergit  dat  off  yo' 
min',  needer.  Hit's  'bleeged  ter  be 
dat-a-way.  'Twan't  none  er  we-all's 
choosin'.  We's  boim'  ter  mek  de  bes' 
er  hit.  De  moon  may  shine,  but  a 
lightered  knot  is  inoughty  handy  ter 
hab  roun*,  en  Gord  knows,  hit's  better 
ter  be  sump'n  dan  nuttin'.  En  hit's 
all  jes'  lak  I  tell  you,  Honey,  en  dat  is 
dis — Ef  hit  hadn'  been  fer  de  w'ite 
folks  dar  wouldn'  be  no  niggers,  dat 
is,  dar  wouldn'  be  none  ter  year  tell  er, 
fer  dat  firs'  nigger  In-'iz-Image  would 
er  been  flung  '  In  de  Miz.'  " 


'/?*  the  Dixinul  Xt 


MARSE     TOM'S     KUNNOO 
SPERITS 

'"SCRIBE  de  lake  er  de  Dismal 
Swamp?  W'y,  Boss,  you  kyan'  see  hit 
ter  'scribe  hit  'twel  you  gits  jamby 
'pon  top  er  hit,  en  den  you's  so  s' prized 
en  'stonished  dat  mos'  all  yo'  bref's 
tuck  outn  you  en  strangulates  yo' 
words  'fo'  dey  kin  git  a  chance  ter 
leabe  yo'  mouf.  Co'se  you  kyan'  'scribe 
hit  den  ef  you  would. 

"But  you  ain't  got  daryit ;  mo' dan 
dat,  you  habs  ter  go  ha' f  way  thoo  de 
swamp  To'  you  kin  git  dar,  anyhow, 
en  de  swamp  hitse'  f  is  thutty  mile  long 
one  way,  dough,  bein'  sorter  slab-sided, 


44  MARSE  TOM'S 

'tain't  dat  fur  de  yudder.  Deu  ag'in 
you's  bleeged  ter  grabble  moughty 
deep  fer  yo'  term'nashun,  en  fer  pas- 
sifycation  er  yo'  pashtmce  de  whole 
endurin'  way  fer  ter  git  dar  at  all,  wid 
de  groun'  a  tromblin'  en  a  tromblin' 
ebby  step  you  fetches ;  dat  is,  ef  you 
goes  dat  way,  fer  on  de  wes'  aidge  er 
de  swamp  de  groun'  is  jes'  ez  hard  ez 
a  rock,  dough,  you  year  me  !  you  got 
ter  walk  thoo  water  knee  deep  ter 
tetch  de  groun'  den.  En,  mun !  de 
bigges'  pine  trees  you  ebber  seed  grows 
ret  dar  in  dat  ve'y  place. 

"Ag'in,  on  de  yudder  aidge  er  de 
swamp  de  reeds  grows  fo'teen  footses 
high,  en  gre't  tall  bamboo  briahs  filled 
wid  long  thawns  tangulates  de  reeds 
in-en-out,  in-en-out,  lakreg'lar 'nittin' 
wuk,  but  'long  to'ds  de  souf  side,  jes* 


KUNNOO   SPER1TS  45 

ez  fur  ez  you  kin  see,  is  a  wavin'  green 
sea.  '  Green  Sea '  is  de  name  dey  gin 
hit,  'count  er  hits  sho-nuff  lakness 
ter  de  real  sea,  kaze  dar  ain't  nar'  sin- 
gle drap  er  water  dar  fer  ter  mek  no 
sea  out  er.  Co'se  de  green  reeds  is 
growin'  dar,  en  dey  stays  green,  too, 
de  whole  endurin'  time,  I  don'  kyar 
ef  de  snow  is  on  de  groun'  er  how  de 
wedder  is,  en  den  w'en  de  win'  is  a 
rushin'  thoo  deze  reeds  hit  do  soun' 
sho-nuff  fer  all  de  worl'  lak  de  ro'in' 
er  de  oshun. 

"  But  ef  dar  ain't  'nuflf  water  dar  in 
dat  perzack  spot  ter  jesterfy  de  name 
4  sea '  dat  dey  all  gin  hit,  dar  is  plenty, 
deLawd  knows,  ebbywharelsein  sight, 
let  'lone  dem  five  big  ribers,  ter  say 
auttin'  'bout  de  creeks  dat  rises  'way 
an'neaf  de  groun',  out  er  sight.  Bn 


46  MARSK  TOM'S 

all  'long  de  endurin'  way,  en  mos' 
anywhar  in  de  swamp,  ez  ter  dat, 
you  kin  fin'  stuck  in  de  trees  tommy- 
hawkses,  en  hatchets,  en  arrer  haids, 
fer  de  ole  folks  say  dat  de  whole  place 
b' longed  ter  de  Injuns  once,  en  dat  de 
Injuns  had  hit  fer  dar  fabrit  lumtin' 
groun'  'twel  de  King  tuck  hit  'way 
fum  'em  widout  leabe  ner  lisunce,  en 
gin  hit  ter  Marse  Ginul  Washin'ton, 
'count  er  his  fittin'  de  reberlishunmerry 
war  fer  'im.  I'll  berboun'  dat  dem 
Injuns  libed  high  w'en  dey  did  ownt 
hit,  too,  'sides  habin'  a  lot  er  sport  out  er 
hit,  fer  eben  now  dar's  de  mo'est  deers 
en  ole  hyars  en  rackoonzes  en  byars  en 
possums  en  wile  tuckeys  in  abunnauce 
all  thoo  en  thoo  hit. 

"Atterde  King  gin  hit  ter  Marse 
Ginul  Washin'ton  hit  wa'n't  a  bressed 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  47 

bit  er  use  ter  'im,  en  hit  wa'n't  no 
'count  needer  sep'n  fer  de  timber, 
kaze  Marse  Ginul  wa'n't  no  coon- 
hunter  ner  no  byar-hunter;  en  de  Ian' 
all  lay  sich  a  way  he  couldn'  raise  no 
craps  'pon  hit.  De  woods  wuz  dar,  I 
'low,  but  atter  dey  wuz  cut  down,  how 
wuz  he  gwine  ter  git  de  lumber  out. 
Marse  Ginul  Washin'ton,  dough,  had  a 
heap  er  gumpshun,  I  tell  you,  en  he 
studdy  en  studdy  'bout  hit  a  good  long 
time,  en  den  he  git  a  passle  er  de  nay- 
bers,  en  lak  de  '  Postles  in  de  Bible  dey 
all  fetched  a  compass  en  went  'long 
out  wid  dis  compass  en  chain  en  sur- 
wayed  a  way.  Den  dey  all  got  some 
mo'  peoples  dat  libed  'roun'  'bout  dar, 
en  dey  all  han's  er  'em  j'ined  in  ter- 
gedder  en  dug  a  ditch.  Dey  dug  dis 
ditch  jes'  whar  de  Ginul  en  de  firs' 


48  MARSE  TOM'S 

passle  er  naybers  dat  went  out  had 
marked  hit  off  wid  de  compass,  en  dat 
ve'y  ditch  is  beknownst  ez  'Washin'- 
ton's  Ditch'  ter  dis  day.  Along  time 
atter  dis,  dey  cut  de  Jerrycho  Kunnal, 
w'ich  wuz  a  heap  mo'  handy  fer  'em 
all,  en  'sides  dat,  dey  meked  hit  tetch 
on  ter  Shingle  Creek,  en  Shingle  Creek 
wuz  nachul  water,  you  know,  en  didn' 
git  outer  order  lak  kunnals  does,  en 
den  ag'in  de  creek  shortent  de  way  fer 
'em  all  ter  git  out  de  lumber. 

"Well,  w'en  you  gits  nigher  on  ter 
de  middle  er  de  swamp  whar  de  trees  is 
highes'  en  bigges',  en  greenes',  too, 
'sep'n  whar  de  win'  done  bruck  some 
er  'em  off,  en  stuck  'em  down  haid-fo'- 
mus'  in  de  bog,  er  meked  'em  fall  ober 
en  ride  topmus'  er  wunner-nudder,  en 
den  in  dat  case  you  sees  de  w'ite- peeled 


KTJNNOO   SPERITS  49 

snags  er  de  trees  stan'in'  up  in  de  a'r 
'long  side  de  turer  one's  green  tops, 
w'  ile  dar  green  tops  is  downmus' .  En 
ebby  one  er  de  bodies  er  deze  big  trees, 
w'edder  dey  is  upside  down  er  down- 
side up,  is  entanglemented  wid  wood- 
binze,  en  yaller  jeserminz  flowers,  en 
grapewines  in  bloom,  too,  kaze  in  dar 
hit's  lak  de  spring  time  all  de  yeah 
roun',  en  de  mosses  en  p'izen  wines  is 
twistid  ebby  w'ich-er-way  wid  de  on- 
p'izen  ones,  en  is  all  mingulatin'  up 
tergedder  wid  wunner-nudder,  'twel  I 
be  dad-blame,  mun !  ef  you  could  git 
thoo  ter  de  Lake  er  de  Dismal  Swamp 
widout  gwine  roun'  on  de  yudder  side, 
ef  you  didn'  know  whar  de  gap  wuz. 

* '  But,  Jimmerny  Crimerny  !  Big 
Bethel  Do'  !  !  Jerusalem  Crickets  ! ! ! 
Wen  you  does  git  thoo,  en  sees  w'at 


50  MARSE  TOM'S 

you  does  see — sees  dat  onnachul  pon' 
full  er  water  ret  fo'raus'  you,  en  all 
roun'  de  sho'  jes'  ez  green  ez  green 
kin  be,  de  flowers  all  a  bloomin' — 
de  wile  cats  en  pole  cats  a  shreelin' 
en  a  shreechin' — de  birds  a  singin' 
chunes — de  byars  agrowlin' — de  deers 
a  spluugin'  in  de  waters — de  fishes  a 
jumpin'  up  en  down — de  sneks  en 
reptilezes  dat  hangs  in  gre't  bunches 
all  'roun'  ebbywhar,  a  drappin'  in 
de  water  kerblunkitty-blink,  ker- 
chunk, kerchunk  ! — de  squir'ls  chat'- 
rin'  lak  dey  wuz  talkin'  ter  wunner- 
nudder — deyaller  flies  en  muskeetersez 
en  bees  a  hummin'  en  a  buzzin' — de 
crawfishes  en  mud-tuckles  en  tar' pins 
bo' in  en  soggin  in  de  mud — de  spring 
lizzuds  en  skorpi'ns  a  jumpin'  thoo 
de  branches — de  ole  hyars  gwine  lip- 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  51 

per ty- clip  thoo  de  underbresh — de 
squeechowls  a  liootin'  en  de  bats  a 
floppin'  dar  wings  !  En  dough  dey's 
all  doin'  en  gwine  on  jes'  lak  I  tell  you, 
en  dough  dar's  so  many  diffunt  kind 
er  famblys  er  'em  all  libin'  in  dar  ter- 
gedder,  dey's  all  han's  er  'em  min'in' 
dar  own  bizness  en  lettin'  wuuncr- 
nudder  'lone. 

"De  a'r  in  dar  is  sof,  en  ez  mile  ez  a 
dram  er  ten-yeah  ole  peach-en-honey, 
en  hit  habs  a  sorter  greenish-brownish 
color  ter  hit,  'zackly  lak  de  'pearuuce 
er  de  water  in  dar  habs  ;  en  w'ite 
lilies  en  all  kin's  er  unbeknownst 
flowers  berfumes  up  de  ontire  place. 
Bress  grashus,  you  dunuo  w'at  minit 
is  gwine  ter  be  de  naix,  w'en  de  'spe- 
imce  er  de  feelin'  er  dat  place  firs' 
comes  'pon  you  thoo  yo'  eye-balls. 


52  MARSE   TOM'S 

"  'Twuz  yeahs  en  yeahs  atter  dis,  en 
I  had  been  gwine  dar  constant,  too, 
dat  I  tuck  Marse  Tom  Mo'  up  ter  de 
Lake.  Does  I  'member  all  'bout  hit? 
Yas,  suh ;  dat  I  does,  dat  I  does,  en  I 
put  de  faber  er  dat  strange,  oncommon 
HT  gemmanenall  dat  he  said  en  all  dat 
he  done  dat  day  away  safe  in  my  'mem- 
b'unce,  en  hit's  dar  yit,  dar — jes'  ez 
fresh  ez  ef  hit  had  all  happen'  yistiddy. 

' '  De  time  wuz  'long  to'ds  day-bre'k, 
en  I  had  jes'  baled  out  my  pirogue  en 
wuz  gwine  up  ter  de  Lake  fishin',  w'en 
I  yeard  a  monst'ous  cur' us  kin'  er  soun* 
retbehime  me — but  I  nebber  tuck  eben 
'nuflfnotus  er  de  soun'  ter  look  'roun'. 
I  didn'  hab  no  understan'in'  in  my 
min'  dat  'twuz  anybody  dat  had  any 
bizness  'long  er  me,  en  den  how  in 
de  name-er-de-Lawd  wuz  I  gwine  ter 


KUNNOO   SPERITS  53 

know  dey  waiit  ine,  fer  dey  didn'  call 
me  'Unkle,'  ner  '  Ole  man,'  ner 
'Boy,'  ner  '  Ung  Toney,'  lak  folks 
in  gen' ally  does,  but  holler  out  en 
say, — '  Aye,  aye,  a-y-e,  me  gude  mon, 
aye,'  lak  who-sum-ebber  'twuz  didn' 
hab  a  grain  er  senses,  en  ain't  nebber 
larnt  ter  talk  good  wid  de  li'l'  senses 
dat  dey  did  hab  ;  so  I  nebber  pestered 
myse'f  'bout  'em,  en  wuz  pushin' 
out,  w'en  firs'  t'ing  I  knowed  a  strange 
li'l'  gemmaii  had  done  sprunk  ober 
de  brambles  en  briahs  en  wuz  axin' 
me  ef  I  wuz  de  boa'smans  dat  he 
had  been  rekermended  'bout  ?  I  tole 
'im  I  couldn'  qualify  fer  sartin,  dat 
I  mought  be  dat  boa'smans,  en  den 
agi'n  I  moughtn'. 

' '  I  tuck  off  my  hat  ter '  im,  dough,  en 
atter  I  had  axt  'im  '  Sarvent,  Marsa',  en 


54  MARSK  TOM'S 

axt  'ira  how  his  coperosity  sergashu- 
ates,  I  axt '  im  atter  his  fambly ,  kaze  ez 
soon  ez  I  lay  my  eyes  on  'im  I  seed 
dat  he  wuz  a  stranger  in  dem  parts,  en 
I  didn'  want  ter  mek  no  bad  enfloons 
on  'im  'bout  how  my  w'ite  folks  had 
brungme  up  ;  but  I  tuck  notus,  dough, 
dat  he  didn'  hab  nar'  grain  er  perlite- 
ness  hisse'f,  ner  no  gumpshun,  needer, 
'bout  de  perliteuess  dat  I  had.  He 
jes'  stood  en  star'd  at  me  lak  he  ain't 
nebber  seed  nobody  berfo',  en  all  de 
answer  he  gin  me  back  wuz,  ter  tek 
outn  his  money-pus,  en  wiggle  up  a 
piece  er  gol' — none  er  yo'  ninepunces 
ner  fo'punces,  but  a  sho-nuff  piece  er 
de  real  stuff,  en  show  hit  ter  me  en 
say:  'I'll  gi'  you  a  pun',  me  gude 
mon,  ef  you'll  row  me  ter  de  Lake  er 
de  Dismal  Swamp.' 


KUNNOO    SPERITS  55 

"  Co'se  I  didn'  'gree  ter  do  lak  he 
axt  me  at  de  firs'  offset,  ner  look 
s'priz'd  at  de  goP  he  gin  me,  ner 
nuttin'  lak  dat,  kaze  I  didn'  want  'im 
ter  t'ink  I  ain't  been  use  ter  goP  all 
my  life  en  dat  my  pockets  wa'n't  jes' 
linded  wid  hit  dat  ve'y  minit. 

"  Atter  I  hem-en-haw  a  w'ile  en 
meked  de  consequences  er  my  gwine  se- 
r'ous,  I  axt  'im  de  time  er  day;  den  I 
axt  'im  ter  gi'  me  a  chaw  er  terbacker, 
but  he  say  he  don'  chaw.  Den  I  ar- 
gufy a  li'P  mo',  en  den  I  tuck  de  bar- 
g'in  up  en  say,  bein'  ez  'twuz  'im,  I 
reckon  I'd  try  and  put  myse'f  out  en 
'comerdate  'im,  dough  I  meked  de  em- 
inence plain  ter  'im,  dat  I  wuz  pes- 
tered 'bout  gwine  'skhuzhunin'  w'en 
I'd  laid  out  ter  go  fishin' ;  dat  my  bait 
wuz  kotch  en  in  de  go'de,  en  I  showed 


56  MARSE  TOM'S 

'im  de  go'de,  en  dat  de  w'ite  folks  dat 
bergages  messes  er  fish  fum  me  reg'lar 
would  be  moughty  diserp'  inted  at  gwine 
widout  'em. 

"DenI  tole  'im  terhopin,  en  hilt  out 
my  han'  ter  hope  'im,  but  he  thunk  I 
hilt  hit  out  fer  de  money,  en  so  drapped 
hit  in,  en  w'ile  I  wuz  puttin'  it  away 
he  tuck  en  sprunk  in  de  pirogue  by 
hisse'f  widout  any  he'p,  jes'  ez  nimble 
ez  ef  he  wuz  a  reg'lar  watermans. 

u  You  year  me,  he  wa'n't  lak  none  er 
our  folks,  no  how,  Marse  Tom  wa'n't, 
dough  I  didn'  know  '  Marse  Tom '  wuz 
his  name  den.  Well,  suh,  he  no  sooner 
sot  hisse'f  down  in  de  boat  'fo'  he  tuck 
outn  his  pencil  en  paper,  en  firs'  t'ing 
I  knowed  he  had  writ  de  water,  en  de 
trees,  en  de  sky  all  down  on  de  paper, 
en  w'en  I  wuz  gwine  thoo  de  las'  lock, 


KUNNOO  SPKRITS  57 

-de  water  jes'  a  rusliin'  in  en  mekin  de 
boat  rize  up  'twel  'twuz  'way  up  eben 
wid  de  lebei  er  de  lake,  I  happen'  ter 
look  to'ds  'iiu  ag'in  en  wuz  dat  'ston- 
ished  ter  see  he  had  done  en  writ  me 
en  de  pirogue  bofe  down  jes'  ez  plain 
ez  he  had  meked  de  trees  en  de  turrer 
t'ings,  dat  I  li'l'  mo'  en  upsot  us  bofe, 
den  en  dar.  But  I  'mejitly  'gun  ter 
back  water,  en  I  say,  '  Marsa,  I  don' 
mean  no  disrerspeck  ner  imperdunce, 
but,  suh,  I  would  lak  ter  ax  you,  ef  you 
please,  suh,  whar  in  de  name-er-Gord 
you  could  hab  comefum.'  He  'spon' 
he  wuz  fum  Norfolk,  dat-day-mawn- 
in',  but  dat  his  home  whar  he  en  his 
folks  all  libed  at  wuz  mo'  dan  a 
thousan'  miles  'way  fum  dat  place. 

"  I  dunno  ef  Marse  Tom  p'intedly 
kuowed  w'at  he  wuz  talkin'  'bout,  fer 


58  MARSE   TOM'S 

he  wuz  moughty  figgitty  en  cur'ous. 
I  reckon  he  mus'  er  had  de  rickits 
w'en  he  wuz  a  chile,  en  ef  he  did,  dat 
'counts  fer  his  beiu'  stunted  in  his 
grofe,  en  actin'  so  budgyfied  now  w'en 
he  wuz  growed  up. 

"  Den  he  'gun  queschefyin'  me,  en 
he  axt  ef  I  had  ebber  seed  any  sperits. 
I  tole  'iin  I  ain't  sho  'bout  dat,  but  dat 
I  didn'  lak  ter  let  my  jaw  run  loose 
'bout  ghos'es  en  sperits  in  dat  lone- 
some place,  kaze  folks  said  de  whole 
swannp  wuz  jes'  'libe  wid  'em,  en  ef 
dat  wuz  true,  dey  mought  be  lis'nin'. 
Den  he  retch  behime 'im  en  tuck  outn 
a  bottle  meked  all  out  er  silber  en  slipt 
a  li'P  narer-shaped  silber  pail  offn  de 
bottom  part  er  dis  bottle  en  den  he  011- 
screw  out  a  silber  stopper,  en  po'  out 
sump'ninde  pail,  jes'  ez  w'ite  ez  spring 


KUNNOO    SPERITS  59 


water,  dat  he  calt  ^Arish^  en  gin 
hit  ter  me  ter  drink  —  En  spam  !  spam  !  ! 
I  kin  'member  de  tas'e  er  dat  'Arish,' 
ez  he  calt  hit,  yit,  en  how  hit  driv  de 
skeer  en  de  spooken-kramps  outn  me, 
'twel  I  wa'n't  'feer'd  er  nuttin'  on  de 
top  er  Gord's  green  ye'th  ;  en  I  up  en 
tole  'im  'bout  all  de  ghos'es  dat  I  had 
ebber  yeard  tell  on. 

I  tole  'im  firs'  'bout  de  bufeful  lady 
all  dressed  in  lay  lack  fum  top  ter  bottom, 
swingin'  her  haid  en  tossin'  her  frock, 
en  comin'  out  at  de  se'f-same  hour 
ebby  day  de  Lawd  sen's,  hoi'  in'  a 
fishin'  pole  in  her  li'l'  w'ite  han',  wid 
rings  shinin'  on  ebby  one  er  her  fin- 
gers, en  how  she'd  bait  her  hook  en  fish 
en  fish  'twel  she  cotch  a  nice  big  mess, 
den  she'd  win'  up  her  line  same  ez  a 
real  pusson  would,  en  espear  jes'  ez 


60  MARSE   TOM'S 

sudden  ez  she  had  espeart — she,  en  de 
mess  er  fish,  en  fishiu'  line  en  all. 

"  Den  I  tole  'iin  'bout  dat  po'  young 
mudder  holdin'  a  li'P  new-bawn  baby 
in  her  arms,  wid  her  face  ez  pale  en 
w'ite  ez  de  inoon — her  hyar  fly  in',  her 
wile  eyes  mos'  poppin'  outn  her  haid — 
ridin'  byar-back  on  a  yaller  critter  en 
lookin'  back'ards  lak  old  Satan  wuz 
behime  her,  skeerder  en  skeerder  en 
ridin'  swiffer  en  swifler,  en  gittin' 
nigher  en  nigher  ter  you,  'twel  presny 
you  years  de  mos'  unye'thly  screech 
en  de  swif'ness  er  de  a'r  jamby  mos' 
cuts  de  blood  outn  yo'  face  ez  she 
rides  'long  pas'  you,  en  w'en  you  opens 
yo'  eyes  quick,  you  don'  see  nuttin', 
— she  done  espeart — done  gone — new- 
bawn  baby,  yaller  critter  en  all.  She 
wuz  de  ghos'  er  dat  po'  lady  dat  tried 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  6 1 

ter  git  away  fum  Marse  Nat  Turner  en 
Jem,  dat  time  he  had  dat  war  up  dar 
in  Soufhampton  County. 

"I  went  on  den,  en  I  tole  Marse 
Tom  'bout  de  storm  ghos',  er  de 
'ketcher  ghos','  ez  some  folks  calls 
hit.  Den  I  tole  'im  dat  w'en  de 
thunder  wuz  in  de  a'r  en  de  litenin' 
wuz  in  de  cloud,  en  Marse  Gabul  wuz 
settin'  up  behime  'em,  ef  you  looked 
en  wa'n't  too  skeered  outn  yo'  senses 
ter  put  'pendunce  in  yo'  eyes,  you'd 
sholy  see  dis  ghos'  ridin'  on  a  fas'  long- 
tail  mule  ghos',  wid  a  whole  pack  er 
blood-houn'  ghos'es  a  sniffin'  en  a 
sniffin'  lak  dey  had  foun'  de  trail  er 
de  los'  ghos'  dey  wuz  scentin'  fer. 

"  I  yearn  de  tale  dat  dis  young  gem- 
rnun  ghos'  w'en  he  wuz  libin'  yer,  'fo' 
he  wuz  a  ghos',  wuz  haid  ober  heels  in 


62  MARSR   TOM'S 

lub  wid  a  moughty  nice  young  lady  in 
de  nayberhood, — dough  dey  said  her 
ma  wuz  a  redempshuner,  but  her  folks 
had  sont  de  money  ter  perdeem  her 
fum  de  cap' in  'fo'  de  time  er  her 
slabehood  wuz  out. 

"Well,  de  night  come  dat  dey'd 
'p'inted  fer  ter  git  mar'ed  in.  De 
folks  wuz  all  'sembled  in  de  parlers. 
De  preacher  wuz  stan'in'  up  in  de  fiV 
wid  de  praher-book  in  his  han's,  en 
stan'in'  'long  side  er  'im  wuz  de  mas 
en  pas  en  all  de  yudder  kinlashuns  en 
naybers  fum  bofe  sides  er  de  famblys. 
All  er  'em  wuz  lis'nin'  en  watchin' 
fer  de  bride  en  groom  ter  come  in. 

uDe  vi'tu'ls  wuz  all  cooked.  De 
table  wuz  sot  en  fixed  up  skrumpshus, 
en  'sides  dat  hit  wuz  uacherly  loaded 
down  wid  roasen  pigs,  en  tuckeys 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  63 

whole,  en  tuckeys  boned,  en  chicken 
saluds,  en  oyschers,  en  pickles,  en 
zerbes,  en  nuts,  en  candies,  en  cakes. 
De  cullud  folks  wuz  dressed  up  in  dar 
bes'  Sunday-go- ter-meetin's,  en  wuz 
all  stan' in'  in  de  passige,  jes'  whar 
dey  could  see  dar  young  missis  vv'en  she 
come  down  styars,  you  know.  De 
fiddlers  had  dar  riddles  res' in  un'neaf 
dar  chins  wid  dar  han's  on  de  bows 
jes'  raidy  ter  start  off  en  strike  up  de 
'jitimit  weddin'  music,  '  Come,  my 
lub,  come.' 

"Well,  ez  bad  luck  would  hab  hit, 
jes'  ez  de  hall  clock  wuz  strekin'  de 
'p' in  ted  hour,  de  groom  bounced  up  de 
styars,  two  steps,  at  a  time,  to  fetch  his 
bufeful  bride  down,  en  dern  dat  seed 
her  said  shesuttinly\yuz  bufeful,  too, — 
dat  she  look  ez  lubly  ez  a  angel  stret 


64  MARSE  TOM'S 

from  heaben,  stan'in'  dar  by  her 
brack  mammy,  waitin'  fer  her  groom 
— all  dressed  up  in  her  purty  w'ite  frock 
jes'  ez  fine  ez  a  cobweb,  dat  her  ole 
brack  mammy  say  she  had  spunt  en 
weabed  herse'f  outn  de  flax  dat  growed 
on  her  pa's  farm. 

"Well,  'co'se  de  bride,  you  know, 
wuz  sorter  shameface'  en  bashful,  lak 
gals  is,  en  w'en  she  seed  de  groom 
coin  in'  up  atter  her,  she  smile  en 
hongherhaid  down,  en  dough  she  tuck 
his  arm,  she  wuz  moughty  skittish 
'bout  hit,  en  she  mus'  er  hilt  off  too 
fur  on  de  yudder  side.  Po'  gal — po' 
t'ing  !  Her  modesty  sholy  wuz  ag'in 
her,  fer  w'en  she  hilt  off  lak  dat  her 
frock,  bein'  flarery,  kotch  onter  de 
blaze  ez  she  passed  'long  so  close  ter  de 
big  log  fiah. 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  65 

"  De  skeer  er  de  blaze  kinder  frus- 
terd  en  addled  de  po'  gal's  jedgmen', 
en  'fo'  de  groom  tuck  in  w'at  hisbufe- 
ful  bride  wuz  up  ter  (I  s'pose  he  wuz 
kinder  squeegin'  her  li'P  han'  lak 
grooms  will,  en  jes'  thunk  mebbe  she 
wuz  projeckin'),  she  had  let  go  his  arm 
en  wuz  runnin'  lak  litenin'  down  de 
steps  en  thoo  de  do',  de  win'  a  kindle- 
lightin'  de  flames  ez  she  flew  'twel 
she  look'd  lak  a  ball  er  fiah,  en  'fo'  he 
er  any  er  'em  could  kotch  her  she  wuz 
bu'nt  up  alibe. 

' '  De  po'  young  gemmau  greebed  so 
dat  he  went  plum'  'strackted  in  his 
min',  en  bein'  frusterd  twix'  de  run- 
away niggers  gwine  ter  de  Dismal 
Swamp,  w'ich  wuz  a  ebby-day  'cur- 
rence  wid  'em  w'en  dey  wuz  tired  er 
wuk,  en  his  bride  runnin'  'way  fum 


66  MARSE   TOM'S 

'im  dat  night  she  kotch  a-fiah,  he 
went  ter  de  Dismal  Swamp  ter  look 
fer  her,  too. 

uPo'  bridegroom!  En  dar  in  dat 
swamp  he  wandered  'bout  thoo  de 
branches  en  de  briahs  en  de  bogs, 
skeerin'  up  de  pole  cats  en  wile  var- 
ments en  sleepin'  on  de  cole  ye'th  wid 
de  wolfzez  en  de  copperhaids  en  de 
rattle  sneks,  'twel  one  day  de  cap' in 
er  de  paterrollers  come  'long  en  foun' 
'im  layin'  dar  stone  daid  ;  but  his 
sperit  is  dar  yit,  and  hit  kin  be  seen 
w'enebber  dar's  a  big  storm  in  de 
day  time,  he  en  all  de  houn'  ghos'es, 
too,  whar  he  ownt  'fo'  he  wuz  a  ghos'. 
Ebby  wet  night  at  midnight  you  kin 
see  'em,  all  ez  natchul  ez  ef  dey  wuz 
real  pussons,  lak  I  tole  you. 

"But  I  ain't  nebber  yearn  w'at  come 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  67 

er  dat  weddiu'  supper,  eii  all  dem  good 
t'ings;  w'edder  de  comp'ny  eat  hit  up 
er  not,  er  w'edder  hit  stay'd  dar  en 
wuz  sp'iled,  er  w'edder  dey  gin  hit  ter 
de  po',  I  ain't  nebber  yearn.  Dough  I 
yeard  a  heap — yeard  all  dat  preacher 
talk  'bout  eschangin'  a  weddin'  fer 
a  fune'al ;  yeard  how  dat  de  whole 
county  wuz  monst'ous  upsot  'bout  de 
po'  gal,  en  'bout  de  weddin'  bein' 
bruck  up  in  dat  turrerble  way — en  all 
lak  dat,  but  I  ain't  neber,  NEBER  yeard 
a  bref 'bout  dat  good  supper  ! 

UI  ain't  mo'  en  winded  up  dis  las' 
ghos'  tale  'fo'  we  wuz  on  de  Lake,  en 
Marse  Tom  jes'  a  writin'  en  a  lookin' 
lak  he  wuz  wounded  up.  Well,  mun  ! 
you  orter  seed  Marse  Tom  w'en  I  lay 
de  paddle  down  en  cl'ar  my  th'oat  en 
he  riz  up  his  haid  en  de  sight  er  de 


68  MARSE   TOM'S 

Lake  firs'  bu'sted  'pou  'im.  De  way 
he  strotch  dem  eyes  er  his'n,  en  de 
way  his  bref  come  en  go,  wtiz  a  cor- 
shun.  I  knowed  he  wuz  gwine  ter  be 
s' prized,  but  he  say  de  Lawd  ain't  uiek 
room  'nuflfinsides  er  his  1'i'l  body  (en 
he  say  his  insides  wuz  bigger  dan  his 
outsides  at  dat,  dough  I  ain't  got  no 
understan'in'  how  dat  kin  be)  ter 
hoi'  de  'mount  er  'stonishments  sich 
rnoughty  grangerment  meked. 

' '  Marse  Torn  say  he  had  been  ebby- 
whar,  but  dat  dat  Lake  er  de  Dismal 
Swamp  at  de  een'  er  dat  moughty 
fores'  wuz  de  mos'  wondersomest  sight 
he  ebber  sot  his  two  eyes  'pon.  He 
tuck  his  pencil  out  en  writ  de  faber  er 
hit  all  down  'pon  a  fresh  piece  er 
paper,  writ  hit  jes'  lak  'twuz,  fer  all  de 
worP,  en  den  he  tuck  en  writ  de 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  69 

talkin'  part  all  down.  I  ain't  nebber 
seed  no  pencil  fly  ober  de  paper  lak 
Marse  Tom's  done. 

"  Wen  we  tu'nt  de  skiff  'roun'  en 
went  'long  back  Marse  Tom  wuz 
speechless,  'twel  we  got  'way  on  de 
y  udder  side  er  de  Feeder,  w'en  we 
come  in  de  soun'  er  Br'er  Alexander's 
woice  singin'  dat  gorspel  chune  all 
'bout  de  'Injuns  bringin'  de  tigers 
down,'*  en  dat  one  w'at  said  : 

"  'John  saw,  John  saw  de  holy  numbah, 
Settin'  on  de  golden  altah-ah  ! ' 

"  Den  Marse  Tom  riz  up  lak  he  wuz 
dafted  in  de  haid  en  axt  me  ter  drap 
dat  paddle  fer  Cord's  sek,  en  let  'im 
year  dat  heabenly  soun'.  I  tole  'im 
dat  wa'n't  no  heabenly  soun' ;  dat  dat 
wa'n't  nobody  but  Br'er  Alexander,  de 

*  Angels  brought  the  tidings  down. 


70  MARSE  TOM'S 

ole  bee-hunter  preacher,  corain'  'long 
singin'.  Ez  soon  ez  Br'er  Alexander 
hobed  in  sight  we  bofe  brung  our  boats 
up  'long  sides  er  wunner-nudder.  Den 
he  en  Marse  Tom  'gun  a  confab  ter- 
gedder.  Br'er  Alexander  had  his  haid 
han'kercher  tied  up  brim  full  er  bees 
dat  he'd  jes'  swarmed.  Marse  Tom  axt 
all  'bout  'em,  en  he  tole  Marse  Tom  a 
heap.  He  tole  'im  all  'bout  de  profli- 
gacy *erdebee-huntin'  bizness,  enebeii 
done  gin  'im  some  er  de  diffunt  kin's  er 
honey  ter  tas'e.  Marse  Tom  wuz  'stoii- 
ished  dat  dar  wuz  ez  many  diffunt  kin's 
en  diffunt  colors  er  honey  ez  dar  wuz. 

"Wen  he  wuz  thoo  tas'in'  hit  he 
axt ' im 'bout  dat  ch une  he  wuz  singin', 
en  'bout  his  'ligion.  Br'er  Alexander 
tole  'im  'bout  de  chune,  en  tole  'iin 

*  Profitableness. 


KUNNOO   SPERITS  JI 

dat  he  b' longed  ter  de  silk-stockin' 
Chutch  en  wuz  a  praher-book  '  Pisker- 
paleyun  thoo  en  thoo,  jes'  lak  his  ole 
Marsawuz  'fo'  'im — ole  Marse  Parson 
Keeling.  Den  he  tole  Marse  Tom  he 
s'poze,  dough,  c'ose  he  wuz  a  Roman 
Caferlick.  But  Marse  Tom  didn'  say 
w'edder  he  wuz  er  w'edder  he  wa'n't. 
He  jes'  laft  fit  ter  kill  hisse'f  en  tu'nt 
de  talk  by  axin'  Br'er  Alexander  ef  he 
wa'n't  skeerd  sometimes  w'en  he  came 
thoo  de  swamps  uver  nights.  Br'er 
Alexander  'low  w'at  in  de  name  er 
Gord  wuz  he  gwine  ter  be  skeered  fer; 
dat  his  'ligeon  was  mo'  perteckshun 
ter  'im  fum  de  daid  en  fum  de  libin', 
fum  de  wile  en  de  tame,  fum  cunjur 
er  fum  p'izen,  dan  de  whole  er  Col. 
Willis  Riddick's  merlishy  wuz ;  den 
ag'in,  he  said  ef  he  wuz  shot  at,  his 


72  MARSE  TOM'S 

jacket  wuz  linded  wid  tuckey  fedders 
so  hit  could  tu'n  aside  de  li'l'  bird 
shots,  w'ich  wuz  de  onlies'  kind  er 
shot,  he  'splained,  dat  de  ketchers  er 
anybody  ebber  shoots  at  de  runaways 
wid,  fer  co'se  dey  don'  want  ter  'stroy 
w'ite  folks'  prop'ty,  en  ef  dey  wuz 
ter  shoot  'em  wid  sho-nuff  shot  dey 
niought  kill  'em,  en  'stroy  'em,  w'en 
all  dey  wants  wuz  jes'  ter  pepper  'em 
up  some  en  mek  'em  smart  so  dey 
could  kotch  'em  en  git  de  'wards. 

Den  he  tole  Marse  Tom  dat  dem 
papers  he  seed  'im  tekin'  off  de  trees 
w'en  we  hoved  in  sight  er  wunner- 
nudder  wuz  'wards.  De  'wards  whar 
de  owners  had  had  stuck  up.  Den  he 
hand  a  passle  er  de  'ward  papers  ter 
Marse  Tom  ter  read.  De  readin'  all 
soun'  mos'  alak,  '  sep'n  some  said  dey 'd 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  73 

gib  ten  dollars,  en  some  ino'  ter  de 
ketchers.  Co'se  de  'skripshuns  er  de 
runaways  didn'  soun'  'zackly  alak, 
kaze  some  er  'em  had  'formities,  en 
some  wuz  short,  en  some  wuz  tall,  en 
mos'  all  er  'em  wuz  difFunt  colors  fum 
wunner-nudder. 

"Br'er  Alexander  say  he  tuck  de 
'  wards  down  hisse'  f  kaze  he  want  ter  use 
^swagin'  wid  de  po'  runaways  firs',  en 
dat  de  runaways  want  'feared  er  'im, 
fer  dey  all  knowed  dat  de  whippin' 
pos'  ner  jail,  ner  nuttin'  couldn'  mek 
him  tell  on  'em,  en  dat  he  allers  gin 
'em  sump' u  t'  eat,  eu  gin  'em  matches, 
«n  'wided  his  backer  wid  'em,  en  w'at- 
somebber  else  he  mought  hab,  en  dat  de 
marsers  en  de  runaways  bofe  tins'  'im, 
too,  dough  dey  couldn'  mek  'im  tetch 
none  er  de  "wards  money'  dat  dey 


74  MARSE  TOM'S 

ofFert.  Den  Marse  Tom  axt  'im  ter 
sing  some  mo'  er  dem  chimes  fer  'im. 
"Atter  Br'er  Alexander  had  sung 
'  Happy  Kaneyun '  en  '  Keep  er 
iuchin'  en  er  gittin'  'twel  you  inch  on 
turer  sho','  en  'Chillun,  drap  yo'  nets 
en  foller  me,'  Marse  Tom  loosent  up 
his  coller  en  say  he's  gwine  sing  some 
fer  him  now  hisse'f,  en  w'en  Marse 
Tom  open  his  mouf  en  did  sing,  'twuz 
lak  de  birds  a  singin'  at  sunrise  in  de 
mawnin'  in  de  spring  time  er  de 
yeah,  en  de  squir'ls  crackin'  dar  nuts 
en  de  shells  a  drappin'  thoo  de  leabes  er 
de  trees;  lak  de  sof  a'r  blowin'  thoo 
de  pines,  lak  de  ripplin'  er  de  silber 
fishes  ez  dey  cracks  open  de  golden 
sunshine  er  de  blue  wabes,  en  de  coo- 
in'  er  de  firs' -bawn  baby  ter  its  young 
mudder,  all  put  tergedder.  Br'er  Alex- 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  75 

ander  lis'en  wid  his mouf wide  open,  his 
eyes  shot  tight  en  his  haid  flung  back. 
Wen  Marse  Torn  wuz  thoo,  Br'er  Al- 
exander nebber  spuck  a  word,  not  a 
single  word,  nebber  said  thauky  ner 
nuttin'.  He  jes'  wipe  offn  his  baP 
haid  wid  his  red  han'kercher,  tie  up 
de  gol'  piece  Marse  Tom  gin  'im  in 
one  cornder  er  de  same  han'kercher  en 
put  hit  back  in  his  hat,  en  put  his  hat 
on  ag'in  en  swish  his  haid  back 
en  fofe,  slow,  en  soush  his  bref  up  en 
down  lak  dis,  den  he  riz  his  woice  up 
ter  heaben  en  gulp  out,  '  Gord-er- 
moughty,  Gord-er-moughty  ! '  Den 
he  tu'n  his  punt  about  en  paddle 
off  wid  his  bees,  en  nebber  eben  look 
'roun'. 

"I  had  a  monst'ous'ligious,  solum- 
cholly  feelan'  in  my  breas'  myse'f,  en 


76  MARSE  TOM'S 

'twuz  all  I  could  do  ter  git  my  bref  ez 
I  steert  iny  ole  pirogue  'long  back 
pas'  de  bamboo  en  de  bunyan  en  de 
rattan,  de  juniper  en  de  cypress  all 
tanglematted  tergedder,  wid  berfum- 
ery  en  grape  wines  wropped  'roun' 
en'  roun',  de  bees  a  swarmin'  fum 
de  gums  ter  de  blossoms  en  circlin' 
'roun'  en  suckin'  de  bref  outn  de 
buds  en  de  flowers,  de  rackoonzes 
swingin'  fum  de  branches,  de  wile 
hogs  a  gruntin',  en  de  byars  en  wolf- 
zez  en  de  turer  wile  varments  a  howl- 
in'  en  a  growlin'  en  a  barkin',  en  de 
rattle  sneks  springin'  dar  rattles.  All 
dis  w'ile  I  wuz  t'inkin'  'bout  Gord-er- 
moughty,  en  de  clouds,  en  de  angels, 
en  de  harps  wid  a  thousan'  strings  ; 
rowin'  my  swiffes',  'pear  lak  I  wuz 
niekin'  fer  de  promis'  land,  en  I  wuz 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  77 

so  short  brefed  en  peacerble  dat  w'en 
Marse  Tom  spuck  up  hit  startleize  me, 
en  meked  me  come  back  ter  ye'  th  ag'  in. 
Marse  Tom  say  : 

"  'Lay  down  yo'  oaz,  me  gude  mon, 
en  let  yo'  pirogue,  ez  you  calls  yo* 
kunnoo,  g'long  wid  de  scudder  a  w'ile, 
fer  I's  gwine  ter  tell  you  a  ghosr 
story  now  myse'f.'1 

"Den  I  say  : 

u  'Marsa,  Marsa,  don'  you  reckon 
how  den  you  better  gi'  me  some  mo' 
er  dat  '  'Arish  "  '  fo'  you  bergins  hit  ?  ' 

"En  he  laft,  en  gin  me  some,  a  sing- 
in'  a  chune  w'ile  he  wuz  a  po'in' 
hit  out,  w'at  said  dat  'We'll  tek  a  ret 
good  swill,  widout  water,  fer  old  Aun* 
Siny.'*  Jes'  ez  I  wuz  gwine  ter  drink 


"  We'll  tak  a  right  gude  Willie-waught 
For  Auld  Laug  Syne." 


78  MARSE  TOM'S 

dis  las'  dram  er  Arish  down  I  say, 
'Marser,  I  ain't  'quainted  wid  yo'  ole 
Aun'  Siny,  but  dis  Arish  is  so  good  I 
could  tek  a  drink  fer  all  yo'  kinla- 
shuns,  young  en  ole,  aunts  en  uncles 
en  all ' ;  but  his  ole  Aun'  Siny  wuz  de 
onlies'  one  er  his  fambly  dat  Marse 
Tom  menshuned. 

' '  Atter  I  had  dreened  de  las'  drap  er 
dis  Arish  down  my  th'oat,  Marse  Tom 
tuckn  read  me  offn  de  paper  de  same 
readin'  he  had  writ  down  on  hit  dat 
ve'y  mawnin'.  'Twuz  all  'bout  a 
young  lady  gittin'  out  er  her  grabe  in 
her  w'ite  s'roud,  'count  er  her  folks 
mekin'  de  grabe  cole  en  damp,  en 
'bout  her  gwine  rowin'  roun'  nights 
wid  a  fiah-flyin'  lamp;  en  paddlin'  a 
w'ite  kunnoo.  Well,  suh,  ef  Marse 
Tom  had  a  tole  me  'bout  dat  ghos'- 


•    KUNNOO  SPERITS  79 

tale  'fo'  he  got  inter  my  pirogue,  he'd 
a  had  ter  a  got  'im  a  nudder  nigger  ter 
kyar  'im  ter  de  Lake  er  de  Dismal 
Swamp.  I  wouldn'  er  tuck  'im  fer  a 
whole  bar'l  er  Arish,  dough  co'se  I 
don'  bleebe  de  ha'f  er  dat  ghos'-tale, 
kaze  fer  one  t'ing,  gals  is  moughty 
skeery,  en  dey's  feared  ter  go  out 
nights,  en  anudder  t'ing,  gals  don' 
know  nuttin'  'tall  'bout  paddliu'  no 
kunnoos — dey'ud  a  tu'nt  de  boats  ober 
sho' ;  en  ag'in,  we  all  knows  dat  ef 
ebbybody  got  outn  dar  grabes  kaze 
dey  wa'n't  warm  en  dry,  de  grabes 
would  all  moughty  soon  be  empty,  en 
skilitons  en  ghos'es  en  sperits  would 
tek  up  all  er  we-all's  room.  Den  ag'in 
I  don'  lak  ter  'spute  Marse  Tom's 
word,  kaze  he's  a  gemman,  but  he 
don'  come  fum  our  part  er  de  worl'  en  he 


8o  MARSE  TOM'S 

don'  know  our  young  missuses  en  how 
'ticular  dey  wuz  brung  up,  en  I  does, 
en  I  knows  dat  all  our  young  missuses' 
ghos'cs  is  got  too  much  especk  fer 
demse'fs  ter  be  gwine  out  nights  wid 
a  young  gemman  ghos'  widoutn  dar 
ma's  ghos',  ersome  yudder  lady  ghos' 
wuz  'long  wid  'em.  I  hates  to  argufy 
wid  Marse  Tom,  kaze  I  laks  him 
moughtly  en  he  suttinly  wuz  a  gemman 
ter  me,  but  I  bleeged  ter  say  dat  I  bleebe 
Marse  Tom  meked  all  dat  tale  up 
'bout  hidin'  de  maid  in  a  cypress  tree  en 
all  'boutn  dat  w'ite  kunnoo  en  dat 
flail-fly  in'  lamp,  kaze  ez  much  ez  I 
been  on  dat  Lake  er  de  Dismal  Swamp, 
I'd  been  boun'  ter  yeard  ef  dar  had 
been  any  sperits  dar  a  paddlin'  'roun' 
"nights  in  a  w'ite  kunnoo  wid  a  fiah- 
flyin'  lamp." 


KUNNOO  SPERITS  8 1 

They  made  her  a  grave  too  cold  and  damp 

For  a  soul  so  warm  and  true  ; 
And  she  's  gone  to  the  Lake  of  the  Dismal 

Swamp, 
Where  all  night  long  by  a  fire-fly  lamp 

She  paddles  her  white  canoe. 


And  her  fire-fly  lamp  I  soon  shall  see, 

And  her  paddle  I  soon  shall  hear  ; 
Long  and  loving  our  lives  shall  be, 
And  I'll  hide  the  maid  in  a  cypress  tree 
When  the  footsteps  of  death  draw  near. 


Away  to  the  Dismal  Swamp  he  speeds — 

His  path  was  rugged  and  sore, 
Through  tangled  juniper,  beds  of  reeds, 
Through  many  a  fen  where  the  serpent  feeds 

And  man  never  trod  before. 


And  when  on  the  earth  he  sunk  to  sleep, 

If  slumber  his  eyelids  knew, 
He  lay  where  the  deadly  vine  doth  weep 
Its  venomous  tear  and  nightly  steep 

The  flesh  with  blistering  dew. 


82     MARSE  TOM'S  XUNNOO  SPERITS 

"  And  near  him  the  she- wolf  stirred  the  brake, 
And  the  copper-snake  breathed  iu  his  ear, 
Till  he  starting  cried,  from  his  dream  awake, 
'  Oh,  when  shall  I  see  the  dusky  Lake, 
And  the  white  canoe  of  my  dear  ! ' 


He  saw  the  Lake,  and  a  meteor  bright 

Quick  over  the  surface  play'd — 
'  Welcome,"  he  said,  '  my  dear  one's  light,' 
And  the  dim  shore  echoed  for  many  a  night 
The  name  of  the  death-cold  maid. 


1  Till  he  hollowed  a  boat  of  the  birchen  bark, 

Which  carried  him  off  from  the  shore  ; 
Far,  far  he  follow'd  the  meteor  spark  — 
The  wind  was  high  and  the  clouds  were  dark, 
And  the  boat  return'd  no  more. 


But  oft  from  the  Indian  hunter's  camp 

This  lover  and  maid  so  true 
Are  seen  at  the  hour  of  midnight  damp 
To  cross  the  Lake  by  a  fire-fly  lamp, 
And  paddle  their  white  canoe." 


"/  crope  ter  tie  do',  en  knock  sojf.' 


DE  MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

"  '  WAT'S  de  matter  wid  mammy's 
chile?  Dar,  dar,  honey,  who's  been 
boderin'  en  pesterin'  you  ?  Come '  long, 
come  'long  yer  en  git  up  in  yo'  ole 
mammy's  lap  en  let  her  rock  you  en 
sing  ter  you — dat's  a  good  li'P  gyerl. 
Dar,  dar,  dar — mammy  lubs  her  baby, 
'deed  she  do.  Yas,  en  she's  her  mam- 
my's li'l'  Miss  Marg'it,  too,  en  her 
mammy  is  gwine  ter  baby-buntin'  her 
ter  sleep-eye-town  now,  en  den  de- 
morrer  mawnin'  w'en  mammy's  baby 
weks  up  mammy  gwine  ter  wash  her 
face  en  cyurl  her  hyar  en  put  on  her  new 
striked  frock  en  kyar  her  in  ter  see  her 


84         DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZKS 

ma.  En  she'll  see  sump'n,  too,  'sides 
her  ma, — yas,  two  stimp'ns.  Dem  two 
sump'ns  suttin'ly  is  gwine  s' prize 
mammy's  baby,  too,  bress  her  bones  ! 
Nemmine,  Miss  Marg'it,  neramine, — 
yo'  li'P  nose  ain't  nebber  gwiue  ter 
be  outer  j'int  wid  yo'  brack  mammy, 
dat  hit  ain't,  honey.  Dar,  dar,  go 
sleep,  now.' 

"  Po'  li'P  Miss  Marg'it  klum  up  in 
my  lap  jes'  lak  I  tole  her,  en  'fo'  she 
knowed  hit  her  liT  eyes  had  stop 
quiberin'  en  shet  up  tight,  den  she 
stop  sobbin'  en  'fo'  I  wuz  eben  thoo 
singin'  her  fabrit  chune  'bout  de  dif- 
funt  kin's  er  tails  de  diffunt  animals 
hab, — de  squir'l  wid  his  bushy  tail,  en 
de  possum  tail  gwine  byar ;  de  rackoon 
tail  wid  rings  all  'roun',  en  de  stumpy- 
tail  ole  hyar, — de  chile  had  done  en 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZBS        85 

forgot  all  her  worry ments  en  had  gone 
fas'  asleep  en  wuz  dreamin'  dat  she 
wuz  playin'  wid  de  butterflies  en 
daisies  in  Marse  Jesus'  back  yard  wid 
His  yudder  HT  brack  en  w'ite  angels 
— bress  her  li'P  bones. 

"De  po'  li'P  t'ing  hain't  nebber 
been  'way  fum  her  ma  ez  long  ez  dis 
'fo'  now.  Nebber  sence  she  wuz  bawn, 
en  she's  gwine  on  mos'  fo'  yeahs  ole 
dis  comin'  co'n-shuckin'. 

"  She'd  allers  been  de  pet  er  de  on- 
tire  plantashun,  en  wuz  de  onlyes' 
chile  dat  her  ma  en  pa  had  up  ter  day 
'fo'  yistiddy,  w'ich  wuz  Chuzedy, 
w'en  ole  Doctor  Finney  rid  up  in  his 
gig  en  Marser  had  de  doctor's  hoss,  dat 
ole  w'ite-face  soral  er  his'n,  onhitched 
en  put  up.  Den  li'l'  w'ile  atter  de 
doctor  driv  up,  Aun'  Drusindy  she 


86        DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES 

driv  up  ill  de  ole  steer  kyart  wid  her 
kyarpit  bag,  basket  en  bunnels  en  got 
out  en  went  'long  in  de  house  wid  a 
moughty  einportant,  inouster'ous,  be- 
knowin'some  a'r,  en  hit  twan't  a  gre't 
w'ile  den  'fo'  we-all  tuck  notus  dat  de 
parsley  baid  wuz  all  grubbled  up.  I 
'clar'  dat's  a  fac'  'boutn  dat  parsley 
baid. 

"Den  'way  'long  to'ds  night  dar 
wuz  a  whang,  w-h-a-n-g,  come  a 
squeech'n  en  a  squeal'  n  thoo  de  cham- 
ber do',  en  den  in  a  minit  ino'  dar  wuz 
anudder  squeal  en  anudder  w-h-a-n-g, 
w-h-a-n-g,  en  pres'n'y  Marser  come  a 
runnin'  out  moughty  acksitable,  en 
jes'  fit  ter  bu'st  out  cryin'  fer  joy  his 
own  se'f. 

' '  Soon  ez  ebber  de  do'  open  en  I 
kotch  sight  er  de  Marser,  I  sprunk  up 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES        87 

en  run  to'ds  'im  wid  my  heart  mos' 
out  er  win',  en  I  axt  'im,  '  Wat  is  hit, 
Marser?  Wat  is  hit?  Gal  er  boy?  En 
who  does  hit  faber  ? ' 

"  Marser  flung  back  his  haid  en  laff 
lak  he'd  split  his  sides  open  en  gin  me 
de  answer  back  kinder  proud  en  con- 
sequenshel,  en  say: 

"  'Hit's  bofe,  Kalline  ;  bofe.  Boy 
en  gal,  bofe.  Yas,  Kalline,  we's  got 
de  fines'  pyar  er  twinzes  you  ebber  sot 
yo'  two  eyes  'pon  in  de  room  dar,  fer 
you  ter  nuss. ' 

4 'Den  he  stop  ret  short  off  en  sez, 
sezzee  : 

'"But,  min',  Kalline,  min','  sezzee, 
4  don'  you  on  no  'count  say  nuttin'  'tall 
'boutn  de  twinzes  ter  yo'  li'l'  Miss 
Marg'it  ;  kaze  me  en  her  ma  wants 
ter  show  'em  ter  de  chile  firs'  we  own- 


88         DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

se'fs,  eu  see  how  de  enfloons  er  de  sight 
er  a  pyar  li'l'  babies  will  strek  her  li'l' 
in'sence  min'.' 

"Co'se  ebbybody  knows  dat  wuz  a 
unconshubul  hard  reman' ment  fer  de 
Marser  ter  mek.  I  'clar  ter  grashus 
hit  wuz  wusser  dan  de  toofache,  er  a 
miz'ry  in  de  haid,  ter  be  a  nussin'  a 
queschifyin'  chile  lak  Miss  Marg'it, 
en  be  wid  her  day  in  en  day  out  con- 
stant, en  keep  yo'  mouf  shet  en  not 
tell  her  nuttin'  'tall  'bout  sich  a 
'portant  piece  er  news  ez  a  pyar  er 
twinzes.  She  allers  wuz  a  enquira- 
shun  chile,  but  now  she  wuz  worri- 
fyin'  herse'f  en  cryin'  en  axin'  ques- 
chuns,  en  kyar'in'  on  kaze  she  kyan' 
see  her  ma,  en  spishenin'  en  speckin', 
young  ez  she  wuz,  too,  dat  sump'n 
outn  de  common  wuz  up.  En  you 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES        89 

know  de  po'  li'P  t'ing  tuck  hit  inter 
her  haid  dat  w'atsumebber  'twuz  had 
sump'n  er  nudder  ter  do  wid  her  nose. 
She  would  set  en  feel  her  li'P  nose  en 
want  ter  look  at  hit  in  delookin' -glass 
en  poke  her  li'P  fingers  in  her  nos- 
trums en  ax  ebbybody  did  dey  know 
w'edder  hit  come  fum  outn  de  fer- truly- 
Giant  dat  Marse  Jack  kilt,  eu  ef  hit 
did,  whar  wuz  de  eyes  en  mouf  eu  de 
ballunce  part  er  de  po'  chile  de  Giant 
had  eat  up,  en  wuz  hit  de  same  Giant 
dat  Marse  Jack  cut  de  bean-stalk  down 
fum  under?  En  w'at  kinlashun  wuz 
she,  wid  her  nose  out  er  Giant,  ter  de 
res'  er  dat  chile  de  Giant  eat  ? 

"  Bn,  you  year  me,  li'P  Miss  Mar- 
g'it  suttinly  wuz  de  though tsomes' , 
sprightlies'  chile  fer  a  gyerl  chile  you 
ebber  seed,  en  she  could  ax  de  mos' 


90         DE    MARIKLE   KR   TWINZKS 

tarry  fy  in' es',  oudashusouies'  quescliuns 
you  ebber  yeard.  You  see,  all  de  folks 
on  de  place,  en  de  naybers,  had  all 
pityfied  de  li'l'  t'ing  so,  tellin'  her  jes' 
ez  soon  ez  dey  seed  her,  atter  dey 
knowed  'bout  de  two  twinzes,  dat  her 
*  nose  wuz  out  er  j'int.'  Dat  sayin', 
you  know,  'bout  yo'  'nose  bein'  out 
er  j'int,'  wuz  one  er  de  ole  time  sayin' s 
dat  de  ole  folks  has  w'enebber  a  new- 
bawn  baby  wuz  bawn  inter  de  fambly 
ter  tek  de  place  er  de  las'  baby. 

"Po'  li'P  Miss  Marg'it  knowed 
sump'n  wuz  wrong  wid  sump'n,  en 
she  faulted  hit  all  'pon  her  nose,  'count 
er  dat  sayin'  dey  all  kep'  a  sayin'  ter 
her, — '  nose  wuz  out  er  j'int,' — dat  she 
wan't  ole  nuff  ter  hab  de  ret  un'er- 
stan'in'  'bout. 

u  Naix'  mawnin'  I  wuz  ez  good  ez 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES        91 

my  wild.  I  put  on  her  bran'  spankin' 
new  striked  frock,  en  her  low-naiked 
check-muzzle  ap'un,  en  put  her  gre't 
gran'ma's  Sunday  year-bobs  in  her 
years  ;  en  w'en  she  wuz  all  raidy  I 
crope  ter  de  do'  on  my  tipen-toes  lak 
I  wuz  treadin'  on  kurkle-burs  en 
knock  sof  en  tole  de  nuss,  '  Yer  we 
wuz. '  Den  de  nuss  she  brung  us  bofe 
'long  in  de  room  jes'  ez  a'rish  en  proud 
ez  a  nigger  wid  a  cooked  'possum. 

' '  My  grashus  me  !  Seks  alibe  !  But 
Missis  sutt'inly  did  look  sweet  en 
purty  wid  her  brack  cyurly  haid  a 
lay  in'  back  'g'inst  de  bran',  spang, 
clean  'broidered  ruffle  pillow-cases  wid 
de  lace  rufflesez  all  nuchted.  De  baid 
wuz  kibered  oberwid  aw'ite  marsains 
counterp'in,  en  Missis'  han's  en  face 
wuz  mos'  w'ite  ez  de  baid-close. 


92         DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

"  Two  er  th'ee  big  sprenches  er 
labender  wuz  bu'nin'  away  on  de  h'arf 
en  berfumed  up  de  whole  room.  A 
li'P  bokay  er  crocuses  w'ich  I  seed 
Marser  squattin'  down  pickin  off  dat 
mawnin'  hisse'f  sot  in  de  wase  on  de 
table  'long  side  de  baid. 

"  Missis  looked  up  en  retched  outn 
her  han'  en  smile  a  li'P  weakly  smile 
at  me  en  li'P  Miss  Marg'it.  Jes'  den 
Marser,  who  wuz  fixin'  de  winder 
blinzes,  come  for'ards  en  tuck  li'P  Miss 
Marg'it  outn  my  arms  en  lay  her  down 
real  slow  en  keerful '  long  side  her  ma. 
He  tole  her  not  ter  budge  ner  mobe 
her  li'P  footses,  ner  not  ter  squ'm, 
needer,  kaze  her  ma  wuz  moughty 
sick,  but  dat  she  mus'  lay  jes'  ez  still 
ez  a  li'P  mouse,  w'ich  de  chile  did. 

"Alter  de  li'P  t'ing  lay  dar  a  w'ile, 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES        93 

her  ma  a  talkin'  ter  her  en  kissin'  her 
en  smobin'  her  hyar  en  pettin'  her, 
wid  her  pa  en  de  miss  bofe  stan'in' 
close  by,  watch  in'  uneasy  lak,  her  pa 
sez  ter  her,  sezzee  : 

u 'Come 'long now,  dear,  youmus'n' 
tire  yo'  po'  mamma.  Come,  papa 
got  sump'n  ter  show  you;  dar,  li'P 
gyerl,  dat'll  do  now.  Come,  now; 
come  wid  papa. ' 

"  She  retched  out  her  li'P  arms  ez 
docilmus  ez  a  li'P  lamb,  en  her 
papa  tuck  her  up  en  toted  her  ober  ter 
de  yudder  side  er  de  room  whar  an- 
udder  baid  wuz  settin'  up  'g'inst  de 
wall.  Marser  hilt  li'P  Marg'it  in  his 
ret  arm  en  tu'nt  de  kivers  down  at  de 
haid-boa'd  wid  his  lef  han'  en  den 
look  up  at  her  en  say  : 

"  'Yer,   my   li'P    Marg'it,'  sezzee, 


94        EE    MARIKLE   ER  TWIN3ES 

4  yer's  a  li'P  brudder  fer  you  dat  de 
good  Lawd  done  sont  down  fum  heaben 
ter  you. ' 

"  En  dar  a  lay  in'  en  a  squ'min',  all 
s wabbled  up  in  flannens,  wid  his  eyes 
shet  tight,  his  haid  a  wabblin',  a  tryin' 
ter  git  bofe  fistses  in  his  mouf  at  one 
time,  en  a  wigglin'  away  lak  a  wum  in 
de  ashes,  wuz  dat  firs'  twinz  —  de 
brudder. 

"Li' I1  Miss  Marg'it  look  down  in 
'mirashun  en  wondermen'  at  dis  liT 
brudder  twinz' s  pink  face  en  fuzzy 
haid.  'Twuz  de  firs'  sho-nuff  real 
baby  she'd  ebber  seed  ;  but,  my !  she 
didn'  know  w'at  ter  mek  er  de  wab- 
blin' en  de  wigglin'  part.  Dat  kinder 
skarified  her,  fer  her  doll  babies  nebber 
wabbled  ner  nebber  wriggled.  She 
look,  en  look.  She  didn'  mek  no 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES        95 

'moustrencc  ter  tetch  de  brudder  twinz, 
dough,  en  mo'  dan  dat,  w'en  her  pa 
hilt  her  down  en  say,  '  Come,  li'l' 
gyerl,  come  en  kiss  yo'  dear  li'l' 
brudder  dat  de  good  Lawd  done  en 
sont  you  en  tell  'im  good-bye,  en  le's 
kiver  'im  up  nice  en  warm  ag'in,  'fo' 
he  ketches  col','  she  jamby  tu'nt  her- 
se'f  cranksided  try  in'  ter  keep  funi 
tetchin'  'im,  en  a  hollerin'  out  jes'  ez 
loud  ez  she  kin  holler  :  '  Me  no  want 
ter  kiss  li'l'  brudders  !  Li'l'  brudders 
is  puppy-babies  !  No,  no  ;  me  s'ant 
kiss  'im,  me  no  want  ter,  papa  !  No, 
no,  no  !'  En,  po'  li'l'  t'ing,  she  hug 
her  pa  so  tight  'roun'  de  naik  in  her 
skarification  er  dat  wigglin'  li'l'  kin- 
lashun  de  Lawd  had  sont  her  dat 
she  mos'  choke  de  bref  outn  her  po' 
papa,  but  at  de  same  time,  dough,  she 


96        DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

wuz  so  skeeredshe  begged  en  'swaded 
'im,  please,  suh,  not  ter  kiber  her  liT 
brudder  up  ef  he  wuz  a  puppy  baby- 
brudder. 

' '  But  Marser  nebber  tuck  no  notus 
er  li'l'  Miss  Marg'it's  beggin'  en  per- 
testinin'  en  frettin'.  Hejes'  'lib'retly 
kibered  de  baby  ober,  en  den  mobed 
'long  ter  de  foots  er  de  baid  en  tu'nt 
de  kibers  down  dar,  too,  en  said  : 

u  'See  yer,  my  li'l'  Marg'it,  see  dis 
yer  !  See  dar,  now,  li'l'  gyerl,  see  !  I 
Yer's  a  li'l'  sister  papa's  got  fer  you, 
too,  see.  Tooby  sho',  tooby  sho'/ 
sezzee  ;  'tooby  sho'.' 

"Widdat  de  chile  stopped  cryin* 
so  short  off  she  mos'  choked  herse'f 
dis  time.  She  drapped  her  li'l'  eyes 
down  all  full  er  wondermen',  en  de 
wet  tears  drapped  down  'pon  de  li'P 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES        97 

new  sister — de  yudder  twinz.  Den  she 
look  up  at  her  pa  en  den  look  to'ds  de 
haid  er  de  baid  whar  de  baid-close  wuz 
a  quiberin'  en  a  budgin',  den  she  look 
back  ag'in  whar  de  li'l'  sister  wuz  a 
wigglin'  en  a  squ'min'.  Herbigeyes 
wuz  starin'  wid  jes'  ez  much  s'prize- 
ment,  'peared  lak  ez  ef  she  hadn'  jes' 
seed  de  yudder  li'l'  brudder-twinz  up 
at  de  yudder  een'  er  de  baid.  Her  pa 
en  ma,  en  de  nuss  en  me,  wuz  all 
ban's  er  us  a  watch  in'  her  jes'  lak  a 
cat  watch  a  mouse,  wonderin'  w'at  she 
wuz  gwine  ter  do,  en  pres'n'y  she  say: 
*  Did  de  good  Lawd  sont  de  li'l'  sister 
down  ter  me,  too  ?  '  En  dey  all  laff 
en  tell  her,  '  Yas,  de  good  Lawd  sont 
de  li'l'  sister  down  ter  her,  too.'  Den 
she  clap  her  li'l'  han's  en  say  :  'Ain't 
He  a  nice,  dear  Lawd,  papa  ?  ' 


98         DE    MARIKLK    ER  TWINZKS 

"  Marser  en  de  res'  er  'em  'spec ted 
she'd  mek  a  fussw'en  deykibered  her 
li'l'  sister-twinz  up,  but  she  didn',she 
nebber  meked  no  rejection  ner  nuttin'. 
All  she  do  \vuz  jes'  ter  look  'roun'  de 
room  en  clap  her  han's  en  say  : 

' '  '  Show  me  anudder  one,  papa  ; 
show  me  anudder  one  ;  show  me 
some  mo'  nudder  ones  de  good  Lawd 
sont.' 

"Her  pa  'splained  dat  dem  two  wuz 
all  de  Lawd  sont,  dat  dey  wuz  twinzes 
en  wuz  her  li'l'  brudder  en  sister,  en 
dey  had  come  down  fum  heaben  ter 
play  wid  her,  en  she  mus'  lub  'em  en 
he'p  tek  kyar  er'em,  kaze  she  wuz  de 
oldes'. 

"  De  po'  chile  didn'  hab  no  under- 
stan'in'  dat  a  pyar  er  twinzes  couldn' 
be  but  two,  en  she  'gun  ter  cry  fer 


DK    MARIKLE   EK.   TWINZES        99 

*  anudder  one. '  '  Show  me  anudder 
one,  show  me  anudder  one, '  she  say, 
en  de  mo'  we  all  laff  de  harder  de  li'P 
t'  ing  was  ter  passerfy.  Her  pa  wuz 
'feared  hit  would  mek  her  ma  mo' 
sicker,  en  so  he  tole  me  I  better  kyar 
her  'long  out  en  try  en  'stract  her  min' 
en  'muze  her,  w'ich  I  did.  But  hit 
sutt'inly  wuz  a  pity,  dough,  dat  de 
tears  should  er  drapped  on  de  gyerl- 
twinz.  'Pear  lak  gyerl  chilluns  is 
'bleeged  ter  hab  bad  luck. 

"  L,an'  er  Goshen,  dough,  de  ques- 
chuns  dat  chile  axt  me  atter  she  seed 
dem  two  twinzes  wuz  a  corshun ! 

"'Wat's  twinzes,  mammy?'  she 
say,  'en  how  come  twinzes,  anyhow? 
En  how  did  de  good  Lawd  git  'em 
'way  down  yer  fum  heaben  widout 
breckin'  'em  all  ter  pieces,  en  w'y 


IOO      DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

didn'  He  send  mo'  twinzes,  mammy  ? 
En  wuz  dem  twinzes  all  he  had  up  in 
heaben  ? ' 

"She  wa'n't  one  er  dem  chillun  you 
could  put  off  widout  ans'in'  back, 
needer.  You  wuz  natchully  'bleeged 
ter  tell  her  de  trufe  'boutii  t'ings. 

"  So  I  tole  de  li'l'  t'ing  de  tale  jes' 
'zackly  lak  I  yearn  hit  tole  myse'f 
w'en  I  wuz  a  chile,  en  gin  her  de  bes' 
un'erstan'in'  I  could  'bout  hit  all.  I 
esplaint  at  de  firs'  gwine  off  dat 
twinzes  wuz  a  marikle,  a  gre't 
marikle,  en  dat  de  creashun  had  been 
meked  a  long  time,  en  de  whole  er 
dat  firs'  lot  er  peoples  de  Lawd  had 
meked  in  His  image  had  bawned  li'l' 
chillun  en  dey  had  growed  up  en  had 
mo'  li'l'  chillun,  en  dey  all  wuz  daid 
en  bur'ed  en  mo'  had  come  en  gone 


DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES      IOI 

in  dar  places  To'  dar  wuz  any  sich  a 
t'ing  ez  a  pyar  er  twinzes  in  de  whole 
worP. 

"Den  I  tole  her  de  name  er  de  firs' 
man  dat  ebber  meked  a  pyar  er 
twinzes,  eii  I  tole  her,  too,  dat  dis 
man  did  a  heap  mo'  slronagin'  t'iiigs 
dan  jes'  mekin'  a  simple  pyar  er 
twinzes,  fer  dat  he  wuz  one  er  de 
stronges'  en  mos'  kerragesome  mens 
dat  ebber  libed. 

"  Dat  at  one  time  w'en  he  fergit  in 
his  confuzhun  en  lef  his  razor  at 
home,  en  didn'  hab  no  shot-gun  ner 
hoss-pistal,  ner  no  y udder  kin'  er 
shootin'  i'ons  ner  no  bowie-knife  handy, 
dat  he  retched  down  en  tuck  a  ole  jaw- 
bone w'ich  wuz  a  layin'  up  in  de 
cornder  er  de  fence  'long  side  de  road, 
dat  de  buzzuds  had  picked,  en  dat  he 


IO2      DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

tuck  dis  jaw-bone  up  en  knocked  de 
dirt  offn  hit  en  kilt  de  gre'tes'  passel 
er  Jews  wid  hit  dat  you  ebber  yeard 
tell  on.  He  kilt  dem  Jews,  too,  'fo' 
dey  come  ter  dar  ret  minzes  en  kuowed 
w'at  he  wuz  up  ter. 

"Den  I  tole  her  dat  at  anudder  time, 
w'eii  nobody  wa'n't  study  in'  'bout  his 
doin'  nuttin'  outn  de  common,  dat  he 
up  en  flung  a  pillow  to'ds  de  chutch 
w'ile  de  preacher  wuz  a  preachin',  en 
kilt  deontire  congregashun  en  knocked 
de  whole  chutch  down  ter  de  groun', 
steeple  en  all,  en  busted  hit  wide  open, 
en  dem  dat  wa'n't  mashed  up  en  kilt 
wuz  strangled  ter  def  wid  de  fedders 
dat  flew  outn  de  pillow.  I  tole  her 
dis  man  wuz  jes'  ez  fyar-minded  ez  he 
wuz  pow'ful  in  strenkf,  eu  folks  fum 
all  ober  de  country  come  fur  en  nigh 


DE    MARIKLE    ER   TWINZES      10^ 

fer  ter  git  'im  ter  settle  dar  'sputes  en 
foughts  eu  quar'ls.  Co'se  de  chile 
didn'  un'stan'  all  de  wharfo's  er  dis 
marikle  er  twinzes,  but  she  lis'en  en 
ax  queschuns  en  un'stan'  a  heap  dat  I 
tell  her,  w'ich  wuz  dis  : 

"  Dat  one  time  two  big  Jew  oomans 
got  ter  quar'lin'  en  'sputin'  'boutn  a 
baby.  One  er  de  oomans  said  hit  wuz 
her  chile  en  de  yudder  one  said  hit 
wuz  hern,  en  de  mo'  dey  quar'led  en 
'sputed  de  mo'  onreznerable  dey  got, 
en  de  mo'  onsottled  dar  own  minzes 
wuz.  'Twuz  jes'  'bout  dis  time  de 
news  come  fum  Leb'uon  all  'bout  dat 
gre't  wise  King  who  wuz  thutteen 
yeahs  buildin'  a  house  ferhisse'f.  Dat 
King,  dey  all  said  dat  w'en  de  angel  er 
de  Lawd  tole  'iin  he  mought  hab  any- 
t'ing  he  wuz  a  min'  ter  ax  de  Lawd 


104      DK    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

fer,  had  jes'  simply  up  en  axt  'iin  fer  a 
good  jedgment,  a  ret  un'erstan'in'  en 
a  pure  heart.  He  didn'  spuck  a  wud 
'bout  money  er  'sessions.  Well,  suh, 
dat  praher  pleased  de  Lawd  mought'ly, 
en  He  gin  de  King  not  onlyes'  w'at 
he  axt  fer,  but  gin  'im  de  money  en 
'sessions  whar  he  didn'  ax  fer. 

u  We'n  de  news  come  'bout  dis  gre't 
King,  de  preacher  en  de  naybers  all 
'vized  deze  two  oomans  ter  tek  de 
chile  en  go  ter  Leb'non  en  let  dis  gre't 
King  'cide  whose  chile  de  chile  wuz. 
So  dey  'lowed  dey  would,  en  dey  tuk 
ten  loafs  er  braid  en  some  crackerlin's 
en  a  cruze  er  honey  en  started  off  ter 
de  place  whar  dis  gre't  wise  King 
libed  at,  en  dey  walked,  en  dey 
walked,  fer  de  way  er  de  trans- 
greshum  wuz  a  long  way  ter  trabbul. 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES      105 

"  Firs'  one  er  de  oomans  toted  de 
chile  in  her  arms,  en  den  de  yudder 
one  she  tuck  hit  en  she  toted  hit 
aw'ile,  ontwel  bimeby  atter  dey  keep 
on  swappin'  en  a  res' in'  dey  come 
ter  whar  de  roads  forked.  Den  dey 
stopped  en  'sputed  a  spell  'bout  w'ich 
road  ter  tek,  'twel  pres'n'y  dey  'cided 
'twix'  derese'fs  dat  dey'd  tek  de  lef- 
han'  road,  w'ich  wuz  de  ret  one,  fer 
dat  wuz  de  road  dat  tuck  em  stret  up 
ter  de  ve'y  gate  er  de  palace  whar  dis 
gre't  King  libed. 

"  On  bofe  sides  erde  palace  de  trees 
er  life  wuz  growin',  en  de  riber  er  life, 
dat  run  ret  'long  pas'  de  ve'y  do'.  Hit 
wuz  ez  clar  ez  a  crystal,  too.  De  pal- 
ace wuz  meked  all  outen  pure  gol', 
insides  en  outsides,  lak  glass,  en  wuz 
stucked  full  er  pearls  en  diamon's  en 


I06      DE    MARIKLK   ER   TWIXZKS 

sardines,  en  th'ee  rows  er  windows  wid 
po'ches,  en  th'ones  in  all  de  po'ches. 

u  De  gre't  King  wuz  in  his  'pres- 
ence room,'  jes'  lak  de}'  yeard  he 
would  be.  He  wuz  a  settin'  back, 
dey  said,  on  his  big  w'ite  th'one  in  de 
middle  er  a  rainbow,  readin'  de  Rich- 
mon'  Whig  en  smokin'  a  Herbanner 
cigyar.  His  teef  wuz  lak  a  lion's,  his 
haid  en  his  hyars  wuz  lak  w'ite  wool, 
his  feets  wuz  er  brass,  en  he  hilt  de 
seben  styars  in  his  ret  han'  en  de  keys 
er  def  en  damnation  jinglet  fum  his 
side,  en  he  wuz  cloved  all  in  vestures. 

"  De  oomans  bofe  reshed  in  terged- 
der  en  drapped  down  kerflap  'pon  dar 
knees  ret  fo'  dis  gre't  King.  Bofe  er 
'em  hilt  tight  holt  er  dat  one  po' 
teensy-weensy  li'l'  baby  dey  had  fotch 
wid  'em.  Bofe  er  'em  wuz  cryin'  en 


DK    MARIKLK   ER  TWINZES      107 

kyarin'  on,  en  'clarin'  dat  she  wuz  de 
baby's  true  en  'jitimate  ma,  en  dat  de 
yudder  ooman  wuz  a  deposter  en  a 
t'ief. 

"De  name  er  dis  gre't  King  wuz 
Marse  King  Solomon,  dough  I  has 
yeard  some  folks  dat  didn'  know  no 
better  say  dey  b'leebed  'twuz  Marse 
King  Sampson,  kaze  Marse  King 
Sampson  wuz  a  kin'  er  slight-er-han' 
man,  en  Marse  King  Solomon  wa'n't. 
But  hit  'taint  needer  yer  ner  needer 
dar  who  meked  dat  firs'  pyar  er  twinzes 
— dey  wuz  meked,  en  de  Good  Book 
gibs  all  de  credick  er  mekin'  dem  firs' 
twinzes  ter  Marse  King  Solomon. 

u  Wen  dem  two  oomans  proscrated 
demse'fs  on  de  flo'  'fo'  de  King  ter 
'cide  whose  chile  'twuz,  he  was 
moughty  pestered  'bout  w'at  ter  say  er 


108      DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

do,  fer  he  seed  'twan't  no  orneray  case 
ter  noller  prostikute.  He  axt  'em  ef 
dey'd  come  peaceable,  en  dey  said 
yas,  dey'd  come  peaceable. 

"  Firs'  he  try  perswazhunin'  en  den 
argufymen's  wid  em  bofe  ;  but,  nor 
suh  !  elerwashun  er  de  senterments 
didn'  mek  no  enfloons, .  ner  reman'  a 
single  speck  er  'esponse,  needer,  fum 
dem  two  oomans.  Dey  didn'  want 
no  errashuns  ;  dey  want  'session  er  dat 
liT  baby  chile. 

"  De  King  wuz  so  scandleized  at 
de  testiment  dey  bofe  gin  'boutn  how 
dey  come  by  de  baby  dat  he  got  frus- 
trated in  his  own  min'.  De  mo'  he 
lis'ened  ter  em  de  mo'  he  didn'  know 
tudder  fum  w'ich,  en  dough  he  paid 
marked  detenshun  ter  de  eminence 
fffo'  him,  en  wuz  jes'  ez  ser'ous  ez  ef 


DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES      109 

•he  had  been  in  de  cote-room  at  Ile-er- 
Wight  Cotehouse  'fo'  all  de  jedges  en 
constubbles  en  majestricks  in  de  whole 
county,  he  couldu'  tell  de  'fendunt 
fum  de  culbert  ter  sabe  his  life. 

"  De  trouble,  I  especk,  wuz  dat  bofe 
de  'fendunt  en  de  culbert  wuz  ooman- 
folks,  en  dey  say  Marse  King  Solomon 
was  moughty  fond  er  strange  oomans. 
Yas,  'pear  lak  dat,  ez  gre't  en  ez  'nip- 
ertunt  a  man  ez  dis  gre't  King  wuz, 
de  ooman-folks  wuz  ineluctable,  eben 
wid  'im.  Hit  wuz  de  firs' time,  dough, 
in  Marse  King  Solomon's  whole  rack- 
erlacshun  dat  he  ebber  was  floundered. 

"He  run  his  han's  thoo  his  long 
cyurly  hyar  en  rolled  up  his  eyes  ter 
de  heabenly  th'one  lak  he  wuz  in  a 
deep  tranch,  en  axt  his  Heabenly 
Fader  fer  mo'  jedgment  ter  mek  de  ret 


IIO      DE    MARIKLE   KR   TWINZES 

endikement,  en  ter  ack  squar'  en  fyar 
by  bofe  er  de  oomans  alak. 

"Wen  de  answer  ter  his  praher 
conie,  hit  come  lak  a  thunder-clap,  en 
he  called  out  in  his  surwiguses  woice : 
'  Boy,  boy,  go  fetch  me  my  sode, — 
quick — quick !  I  am  de  Rose  er 
Sharon  en  de  Lily  er  de  Walley ! ' 
Den  he  stunt  up  en  bow  especkfully 
ter  de  two  oomans  en  axt  'em  would 
dey  please  ter  rise  en  tek  a  cheer  en 
be  seated.  De  boy,  he  run  en  fotch 
de  sode, — quick.  De  oomans,  dey  riz 
en  sot. 

u  Marse  King  Solomon  look  'roun' 
fierce,  den  skunt  de  skabbud  off  de 
sode  de  boy  had  fotch,  en  den  he  sharp- 
ent  de  sode  back'ards  en  for'ards  'cross 
his  boot  two  th'ee  times  en  say,  'All 
flesh  is  not  de  same  flesh.  Dar  is  a 


DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES      III 

kin'  er  flesh  er  man  en  anndder  er 
beastestes.  En  datw'ich  don  sawes' 
don  sawes'; — not  dat  body  w'ich  shall 
be,  but  a  loose  man.  Behole !  I 
show  yon  a  mystery.  We  shall  be 
changed.' 

"En  'fo'  de  oomans  knowed  hit, 
Marse  King  Solomon  had  deformed 
de  gre'  t  mystery,  en  had  meked  a  pyar 
er  twiuzes  outn  one  po'  teensy-weensy 
HT  spindlin'  baby,  en  bofe  twinzes 
wnz  a  heap  bigger  en  a  heap  mo'  sizer- 
bul  dan  de  baby  he  had  meked  'em 
outn.  En  dar  wa'n't  no  seamses  in 
dar  bodies,  needer,  en  all  de  members 
wuz  dar,  ter  tek  kyar  er  one-er-nudder. 
De  ret-han'  ooman  cried  en  kyar'd  on 
moughty  bad  w'ile  Marse  King  Solo- 
mon wuz  a  sawin'  wid  his  sode  en  wuz 
deformin'  de  marikle  er  twinzes  ;  butde 


112      DE    MARIKLE   ER   TWINZES 

lef -ban'  ooman  jes'  hilt  her  bref  en 
hain't  say  nuttiu',  jes'  lak  Brer  Rabbit 
did. 

"Wen  Marse  King  Solomon  wuz 
thoo  mekin'  deze  twinzes  he  put  a 
strawberry  mark  on  dar  lef  shoul'ers, 
widout  w'ich  ef  he  didn'  nobody  could 
er  tole  one  twinz  fum  de  yudder  twinz, 
dey  fabered  so  in  dar  lakness.  Hit 
suttinly  is  s'prizin',  but  dar  wa'n't 
nuttin'  spindlin'  'bout  dem  chillun 
atter  dey  wuz  meked  inter  twinzes, 
dough  hit  do  'pear  lak  ter  me  dat  de 
one  wid  de  bigges'  strawberry  mark 
mus1  er  been  a  li'P  de  laklies',  kaze 
Marse  King  Solomon  gin  dat  one  ter 
de  ooman  dat  cried  en  kyar'd  on  so 
bad.  Den  he  sez,  sezzee :  '  You  is  brack 
but  comely,  O  ye  daughters  er  Jeru- 
salem,—  go  fofe  en  feed  dy  kids  by  de 
shep'erd's  tent.' 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES      113 

"  Den  he  riz  his  eyes  up  ter  heaben 
en  de  smoke  puflfed  outn  his  nostrums, 
en  he  said  : 

"'I/awd,  let  dy  serpents  'part  in 
peace,  ez  soundin'  brass  en  tinklin' 
symblins,  fer  all  flesh  is  grass,  en  de 
lub  er  money  is  ter  root  ef  you  is  able  ! 
Grind  de  faces  er  de  po'  !  Rule  wid  a 
rod  er  i'on!  Hole  fas'  dat  w'ich  is 
good,  fer  in  dat  day  seben  oomanzes 
shill  tek  hole  er  one  man  !  Now,  Al- 
furd  en  Emrnega,  be  fait'ful  ter  det ! 
Wat  dou  seest,  write  hit  in  a  book,  en 
sen'  de  book  ter  Af'ica!' 

' '  De  oomans  was  marvelled  en 
'mazed,  en  went  dar  ways  a  'joicin',  en 
stretway  tuck  de  two  chillun,  Alfurd 
en  Emmega,  en  'parted.  En  de  win' 
'ceasted  en  dar  wuz  a  gre't  ca'm. 

"  En  dat  wuz  de  gre't  marikle.     De 


114      DE    MARIKLK    KR   TVVINZES 

gre't  mystery  wttz  deformed  en  de  firs' 
pyar  er  twinzes  wuz  meked.  De 
oomans  wuz  de  owners.  Marse  King 
Solomon  meked  'em  wid  his  flamin' 
sode  ontn  one  po'  li'l'  teensy-weeusy 
baby. 

"  But  who  kin  tell  w'ich  wuz  whose 
chile  ?  Er  whose  chile  wuz  de  yudder? 
Er  how  many  faders  dar  wuz  ter  dem 
two  twinzes?  Er  did  de  sho'-en-sartin 
mudder  hab  'session  er  de  sho'-en-sar- 
tin twinzes  dat  wuz  retly  en  truly  her 
own  twinzes,  en  ef  so,  how  much  er 
»hit  ?  Could  dat  flamin'  sode  dat  sawed 
dat  one  po'  li'P  baby  inter  a  pyar  er 
twinzes  be  de  hyary  parunt  ?  Whose 
chillun  wuz  dem  twinzes,  anyhow? 
W'ich  one  wuz  Alfurd  en  w'ich  one 
wuz  Emmega? 

4 '  Let  dy  sperit  byar  witness.     Bress 


DE    MARIKLE   ER  TWINZES      115 

de  L,awd,  O  my  soul  !  We's  all  sich 
sinners.  Hit's  bes'  ter  tas'e  not,  tech 
not,  handle  not,  ef  yer  wants  ter  climb 
dem  golden  styars  en  git  yo'  'lowence 
er  milk  en  honey." 


'De  p. 


nt  rii  ini/clifd  \>m,  but  ni'i'ili' 
ner  nccdcr  tliil  hi'  whine." 


iiiii  Ac  bark 


'STORICAL  JUELS 

THIS  graphic  description  of  these 
two  historical  duels  was  given  to  me 
by  an  old  negro  whose  father  was  an 
eye-witness  to  the  one  and  a  hearsay 
witness  to  the  other. 

The  first  of  these  duels  was  fought 
by  the  "  political  meteor  of  Congress," 
John  Randolph,  and  the  "Great 
Compromiser,"  Henry  Clay.  When 
the  election  of  1824  went  to  the 
House  and  was  decided  in  favor  of 
John  Quincy  Adams  by  the  vote  of 


Il8  'STORICAL     JUELS 

Henry  Clay  the  thunder  of  Ran- 
dolph's voice  was  not  the  smallest 
element  in  the  storm  which  assailed 
the  recalcitrant  Kentuckian.  To  the 
general  denunciation  of  "bargain  and 
corruption"  with  which  Clay's  action 
was  received  Randolph  added  yet 
more  stinging  characterization,  for 
which  language  he  was  challenged. 

The  magnanimity  of  the  one  and 
the  generous  sensibility  of  the  other 
on  the  occasion  of  the  duel  excited 
general  admiration. 

The  second  notable  duel  was  in  a 
less  elevated  class  of  society,  but 
was  nevertheless  characterized  by  hon- 
orable conduct,  cool  determination 
and  unflinching  courage,  which  would 
have  been  commendable  in  much 
higher  circles.  It  was  fought  between 


'STORICAL     JUELS  119 

two  very  black  servitors,  and  grew  out 
of  a  sentiment  which  has  been  the  oc- 
casion of  many  remarkable  events,  — 
L/ove.  A  sable-tinted  beauty  having 
taken  possession  of  both  hearts,  it  be- 
came necessary  that  the  vital  question 
should  be  decided  in  some  definite 
manner,  and  what  could  be  more  con- 
clusive than  the  primitive  test  to 
which  resort  was  had  away  back  in 
the  beginning  when  Cupid  first  dis- 
turbed the  peace  of  the  human  race  ? 


'"HATAX, —  yas,  suh,  dat's  my 
name.  Dat  is,  hit's  de  las'  po'tion- 
part  w'ich  I  answers  by  w'en  dey  calls 
me,  kaze  my  whole  name,  Powhatan, 
was'es  too  much  er  de  w'ite  folkses 
bref,  habin'  ter  call  hit  ez  ofn  ez  dey 


I2O  STORICAL      JUELS 

does.  Powliatau  is  one  er  \ve-all's 
fambly  names  en  signerfies  who  we  z's} 
dough  dar's  some  er  deze  yer  'sump- 
shus  niggers  en  po'  w'ite  trash  steals 
hit  fum  us,  kaze  'taint  nuttin'  'tall 
but  stealin'  fer  anybody  ter  tek  a 
name  dat  dey  don'  'herit  fum  dar  own 
gran'faders.  Our  fambly  don'  lak 
hit,  needer. 

"  Our  w'ite  folks  is  quality,  en  co'se 
so  is  we.  We  don'  come  fum  none 
er  dat  jail-bird,  pizen  Guinea  trash. 
Nar,  stih,  dem  dar  ole  time  Butchers 
didn'  hab  nuttin'  'tall  ter  do  wid 
selliu'  er  we-alls  incesters  fer  ter- 
backer.  In  dem  days  dat  I's  talkin' 
'bout,  you  know,  terbacker  wuz 
mos'ly  de  onlyes'  kin'  er  money  dat 
folks  ober  yer  had  ter  sell  en  buy  per- 
wizhuns  en  niggers  en  wifes  en  yudder 


'STORICAL     JUELS  121 

t'ings  lak  dat  wid.  Yas,  suh,  I  wuz 
bawn  en  bred  en  brung  up  'long  er  de 
Ran'olfses. 

"De  ve'y  firs'  meat-peddlers  dat 
dar  wuz,  dough,  didn'  confine  dey- 
se'fs  entirely  ter  cullud  meat ;  dey  use- 
ter  sell  moughty  nigh  ez  many  wi'te 
niggers  ez  dey  did  brack  niggers  in 
dem  days.  But  po'  w'ite  trash  den 
wuz  jes'  lak  po'  w'ite  trash  is  now. 
Dey  wuz  uppish  eu  no  'count  on  de 
face  er  de  ye'th,  allers  'tendin'  lak  dey 
kyan'  stan'  wuk.  So  de  folks  nat- 
chully  stuck  ter  de  kin'  dat  wuz  wuff 
de  mos'  ter  'em  radder  dan  ter  de  ones 
dat  wa'n't  wuffde  salt  dey  eats  in  dar 
hoe-cakes. 

"Flesh  en  blood  wa'n't  sole  allers 
fer  endurin'  yo'  whole  life  in  dem 
days.  Sometimes  dey  wuz  sole  fer  a 


122  'STORICAL     JUELS 

termnashun  er  time,  en  ef  one  er  dem 
dat  wuz  sole  got  onsatisfied  in  his 
inin'  en  rnnned  away  'fo'  de  termna- 
shun er  his  time  wuz  up  de  owners 
would  bran'  'im  on  one  er  his  cheeks 
wid  a  red  hot  i'on,  dat  is  ef  dey  kotch 
'im.  My  daddy  say  dat  Marse  John 
Ran'olf  allers  said  he  b'leebed  dat 
dem  boat-loads  er  imergrates  would  be 
mos'  er  'em  tuck  back  whar  dey 
coined  fum,  ef  hit  hadn'  been  fer  dat 
pesky  terbacker  crap.  You  see,  ter- 
backer  is  a  heap  er  trouble.  Firs'  t'  ing 
you  does  you  plants  hit,  den  you 
wuks  hit,  den  you  wums  hit,  kaze  de 
wums  would  eat  de  'tire  crap  up  ef 
you  didn'.  Den  you  habs  ter  kiver  hit 
up  uver  nights,  den  onkiver  hit  uver 
days,  jes'  lak  'twuz  a  new-bawn  baby, 
kaze  ef  you  didn'  'twould  freeze;  en 


'STORICAL     JUELS  123 

you  habs  ter  keep  on  wid  dat  kiverin' 
en  onkiverin'  en  handlin'  hit  en  011- 
handlin'  hit  ober  en  ober  ag'in,  tvvel 
de  crap  is  not  only  meked,  but  is  put 
in  boxes  en  nailt  up  en  sont  ter  town. 

'"Deed,  hit  meks  me  laff,  but  hit's 
de  trufe — de  terbacker  crap  puts  me 
mought'ly  in  min'  er  folks,  dough  I 
c'lar  ter  graslitis,  ef  you  teks  hit  all 
fum  firs'  ter  las',  hit's  a  sight  mo' 
trouble  ter  raise  a  crap  er  terbacker 
dan  'tis  a  crap  er  chillun.  Co'se  dar 
wa'n't  'nuff  po'  w'ite  folks  a  libin' 
ober  yer  endurin'  dem  days  ter  do  all 
de  wuk  dat  dat  kind  er  crap  'quired, 
Dey  could  'tend  ter  de  corn,  en  de 
wheat,  en  fodder,  en  'tater  craps,  en 
sich  ez  dem,  but  atter  dat  time  you 
year  tell  'bout  w'en  Miss  Liz'befs 
beau,  Marse  Rawley,  coined  ober  yer 


124  'STORICAL      JUELS 

en  meked  dat  wonderful  'skivery  er 
terbacker  ('twa'n't  nuttin'  biit  a  weed 
w'en  Marse  Rawley  'skivered  hit)  en 
all  ban's  tuck  ter  raisin'  hit,  dey  wuz 
consequently  'bleeged  ter  hab  mo' 
he'p  dan  dey  had  had. 

1 '  Dough  I  wuz  brung  up  in  de 
Rau'olf  s  fambly  myse'f,  we-alls  wuz 
'herited  in  hit  fum  de  Bland  side  er  de 
house.  Marse  John's  ma  wuz  a  Bland, 
en  all  er  my  kinlashuns  en  my  daddy's 
kinlashuns  b' longed  ter  her,  en  wuz 
Blands,  too.  Well,  Marse  John's  ma, 
ez  I  tell  you,  mar'ed  Marse  John's  pa. 
En,  mini !  She  wuz  a  ketch  ter  be 
kotch,  too,  fum  way  back.  She  wuz 
ez  rich  ez  cream,  en  let  'lone  dat,  she 
wuz  de  purties'  young  gal  in  de  whole 
county,  en  she  had  a  sight  mo'  beaux, 
too,  'sides  Marse  John's  pa,  en  mo'  'an 


'STORICAL     JUELS  125 

dat,  she  could  er  got  anybody  in  de 
whole  Ian'. 

"I  don'  b'leebe,  fum  w'at  I  yearn 
'bout  Marse  John's  looks,  dat  he  tuck 
his  looks  atter  his  ma,  dough  my  daddy 
say,  dey  all  said  he  wuz  a  moughty 
lakly,  peart  chile  w'en  he  wuz  ret 
young,  but  looks  ain't  needer  yer,  ner 
needer  dar,  fer  'purty  is  ez  purty  does,' 
en  ef  Marse  John  outgrowed  his  good 
looks  he  suttiuly  ingrowed  monst'ous 
good  sense  to  stedify  de  loss  er  de  looks. 

"  My  daddy  say  he  yeard  his  daddy 
tell  dat  he  ain't  nebber  come  'crost  no 
yudder  pusson  dat  fabers  Marse  John 
perzackly.  He  say  Marse  John's  face 
wuz  ez  narer  ez  his  han'  ;  dat  twuz  so 
conshumbly  narer  hit  meked  his  chin, 
dat  wuz  a  natchul  good  size  chin  ef 
hit  had  been  lef  by  hitse'f,  'pear  on- 


126  'STORICAL     JUELS 

sizabul  fer  his  face.  Den  ag'in,  he 
didn'  hab  any  sign  er  lips  growin'  on 
de  outsides  er  his  niouf,  en  habin'  nut- 
tin'  but  inside  lips,  hit  meked  his 
mouf  'sume  de  'pearnnce  er  a  slit  cut 
lenkfwise  'twix'  en  'tween  his  nose  en 
his  chin.  En  dat  mouf-slit  er  Marse 
John's  wuz  jes'  strotch  ez  tort  ober  his 
teefs  ez  hit  could  be  strotch.  He  wuz 
dark-skinded  en  didn'  hab  nar'  single 
bit  er  red  color  in  his  face,  lak  his  ma 
had,  ner  a  speck  er  smitch  er  whisker 
roots  eben  growin'  in  de  meat,  much 
less  real  sho-nuif  whiskers.  His  nose 
wuz  short,  but  'twuz  ez  stret  ez  a 
shingle,  dough.  His  haid — well,  suh, 
his  haid  wuz  scan'lous,  hit  wuz  so 
li'P.  Hit  wuz  de  li'les'  haid  for  a 
growed-up  man  you  ebber  sot  yo'  two 
eyes  'pon.  'Deed,  fum  w'at  dey  said, 


'STORICAL     JUELS  1 27 

'twa'n't  much  bigger  dan  my  two 
fis'es.  En  he  wuz  dat  skinny,  en 
spindlin',  dat  ef  he  hadn'  er  been  a 
moughty  rich  man,  you'd  a  p'intedly 
b'leebed  he  ain't  nebber  had  a  good 
squar'  meal  er  wittles  in  his  whole  life. 
En  bein'  so  straight  en  tall  ez  he  wuz, 
de  HT  bit  er  fat  he  did  hab  on  his 
bones  didn'  mek  no  sort  er  enfloons. 

u  His  woice  w'en  he  spuck  in  a  low 
tone  soun1  lak  a  pianer,  'twuz  dat 
tuneful  en  sweet.  W'y,  dar  wa'n't  a 
ooman  'bout  de  place,  w'ite  er  brack, 
had  nar'  sof  er  woice  dan  his'n.  But, 
mun  !  w'en  he  spuck  loud,  'twuz  a  can- 
opener,  I  tell  you,  en  jes'  ez  squeechy, 
too,  ez  a  ole  brucken  tin  horn.  He  had 
one  er  de  purties'  meked  han's  you 
ebber  seed,  en  you  could  jamby  clutch 
bofe  er  yo'  own  han's  'roun'  hiswais,' 


128  'STORICAL     JUELS 

'twuz  dat  li'l'i  But  dem  speckled  eyes 
er  his' 11,  by  Jimerny  !  Dem  eyes  ! 

"Darwa'n't  nar'  nudder  pyar  eyes 
lak  Marse  John  Ran'olf 's  in  de  whole 
County  er  Ferginny,  no,  ner  in  de 
whole  relation  er  de  Nunited  States, 
needer.  My  L,awd !  I  tell  you  de 
hawk's  eyes  dat  you  yeard  folks  read 
en  talk  'bout  bein'  so  bright,  wuz  li'l' 
'signifercant  fish  eyes  ter  Marse  John 
Ran'olf's  eyes. 

"All  han's  er  de  brack  folks  sot  a 
heap  sto'  by  Marse  John  ;  no  mo'  sto' 
dan  dey  orter  er  sot,  dough,  kaze  I  tell 
you  Marse  John  didn'  hab  no  ekal  in 
de  wide  worP.  Nar,  suh  !  W'y,  does 
you  know  he  tuck  en  'deaverd  ter  Parn 
ebby  bressed  one  er  we-all  cullud  folks, 
fum  de  li'les'  ter  de  bigges',  ter  say  de 
I/awd's  Praher,  en  all  ten  er  de  Re- 


'STORICAL     JUELS  1 29 

man 'men's  er  de  Law  by  heart.  En 
uver  Sundays,  w'en  he  wuz  at  home, 
he  allers  preached  a  sho-nuff  sermon 
er  de  gorspil  ter  us  hisse'f. 

' '  Marse  John  wuz  ez  rich  mos'  ez 
pie-crus',  too.  Yas,  suh,  dat  he  wuz. 
W'y,  he  had  jamby  fo'  hundud  niggers 
en  two  hundud  hosses,  ter  say  nutthT 
'tall  'boutn  all  de  lan's  en  all  de  yud- 
der  t'ings  dat  he  ownt  in  abunnance. 
En,  mun  !  ebby  las'  one  er  dem  fo' 
hundud  niggers  er  Marse  John's  lubbed 
de  ve'y  groun'  he  trod  'pon  ;  dey  would 
er  gib  de  las'  drap  er  dar  blood  fer  'im, 
dat  dey  would.  I  knows,  kaze  I  wuz 
one  er  'em. 

"  Nar,  suh  ;  po'  Marse  John  nebber 
got  mar'ed  ;  no,  nebber,  dough  dey 
say  he  come  moughty  nigh  hit  oncet. 
Yas,  suh  ;  de  weddin'  day  eben  wuz 


130  'STORICAL     JUELS 

sot ;  but  my  daddy  say  dey  all  tuk 
notus  dat  de  nigher  de  'pinted  time 
got,  de  mo'  onres'less  en  onsatusfied 
Marse  John  got,  twel  one  Chuzedy 
inawnin',  I  yeard  'twuz  de  ve'y  day 
sot  fer  de  mar'iage,  he  'low  dat  he'd 
lak  ter  hab  a  inferdenshal  talk  wid  de 
young  missis  dat  wuz  gwine  ter  be. 
She  'low  she  'greed,  en  she  corned 
down  moughty  peart  en  gay  en  met 
Marse  John  in  de  passige.  Dey  bofe 
bow  en  smile  en  ax  atter  wunner 
nudder,  en  bofe  look  inoughty  lubbin' 
en  bofe  'quired  moughty  perlite  how 
tur'er  one  sergashuates.  Den  dey  went 
'long  soshuble-lak  tergedder  inter  de 
drawin'-room.  De  young  Missis  she 
wuz  a  blushin'  en  lis'nin'  ter  Marse 
John  kinder  sideways  wid  her  eyes  half 
shot  up,  en  he  wuz  confabin'  ter  her 


'STORICAL     JUELS  131 

'bout  de  bunch  er  mawnin'  -  glories  dat 
he  hilt  in  his  han'. 

"De  las'  t'ing  dey  all  yeard  Marse 
John  say  wuz  jes'  'fo'  he  git  ter  de  do', 
w'en  he  tu'nt  'roun'  en  look  at  her 
jes'  lak  she  wuz  de  ve'y  firs'  red-meat 
watermillion  dat  ebber  growed  'pon 
de  vine,  en  he  lay  de  mawnin' -glories 
'long  side  her  purty,  blushin'  face,  en 
say  dat  she  'vide  dar  glory  wid  'em, 
she  wuz  so  royal  en  so  gran' .  But  dar 
ain't  noboddy  nebber  knowed  w'at  pas' 
'twix  dem  two  atter  dey  went  'long  in 
de  room  en  shet  de  do'  to  behinst 
'em  ;  needer  w'at  dey  done,  ner  w'at 
dey  wuz  a  talkin'  'bout,  ner  nuttin' 
else;  dough  Kalline  (she  wuz  de  maid) 
she  say  she  lis'en  ebby  chance  she  git, 
but  she  say  she  kyan'  year  a  wud  dey 
said  ner  a  t'ing  dey  done,  dey  talk  so 


132  'STORICAL     JUELS 

low,  widout  she  say  she  could  er  crope 
'roun'  on  de  y udder  side,  whar  de  dor- 
mer winder  wuz,  but  she  say  ef  she'd 
er  done  dat  she  skeered  somebody 
would  er  kotch  her. 

"Atter  a  long  w'ile  pass  by,  Marse 
John  open  de  do'  en  corned  'long  out 
all  by  his  lone  se'f.  Den  he  shet  de 
do'  sort  er  sof  en  keerful — jes'  lak 
hit  'twuz  shet  to  by  de  bref  er  de  sigh 
dat  he  breabed  'g'inst  hit.  Bress  de 
grashus  !  but  he  looked  ez  w'ite  ez  ef 
he'd  seed  a  ghos'  w'ile  he  been  in  dar. 
His  haid  wuz  bow  down  on  his  li'l» 
breas'bone,  en  his  mouf  wuz  drawed  so 
tight  ober  his  teefs,  en  wuz  so  pupple, 
hit  looked  lak  'twuz  mos'  mortifycated. 
He  allers  walked  lak  a  Injun  any  way, 
but  he  walked  straighter  en  fas'er  en 
mo'  lak  a  Injun  dan  ebber,  en  went 


'STORICAL     JUELS  133 

'long  out  lonesome  lak  ter  de  stable 
en  git  ou tn  his  boss  all  by  hisse'f,  en 
put  de  saddle  on  'iin  by  hisse'f,  too,  en 
rid  off  'fo'  anybody  knowed  w'at  he 
wuz  up  ter, —  rid  off  widout  ans'in' 
any  queschuns  ter  nobody,  er  eben 
down  sayin'  good-bye,  ner  nuttin', 
dough  w'en  Ung  Jim  gib  Sis  Viny  de 
aigs  out  de  troff  whar  his  hoss  wuz  fed 
outn  he  foun'  some  money  layin  'long 
side  er  dc  aigs,  en  you  know  de  hen 
nebber  layed  no  money  in  de  hoss  troff. 
"  De  sufF'rin'  dat  wuz  in  Marse 
John's  min'  ez  he  rid  away  wuz 
wukin'  hitse'f  out,  dough,  spite  er  all 
he  could  do,  en  fum  dat  time  for'ards 
dat  same  'spresshun  he  had  on  his  face 
den,  en  dat  same  manner  he  had  in  his 
ways  den,  lasted  twel  dat  las'  night 
in  dat  HT  'ligeous  town  er  Filerdel- 


134  'STORICAL      JURLS 

fyer,  whar  he  went  ter  kotch  de  boat 
dat  wuz  gwine  ter  kyar  'im  'cross  de 
oshun  ter  L/un'en  ter  see  ef  a  change 
er  a'r  ober  dar  in  L,un'en  wouldn'  do 
'im  some  good;  but  Filerdelfyer  wuz 
all  de  fur  Marse  John  got.  Dat  yudder 
boat  dat  Ian'  on  a  diffunt  sho'  fum 
Lun'en, —  dat  sho'  whar  dar  ain't  no 
mar' in'  nerno  gibin'  in  mar' in',  wuz  de 
boat  dat  po'  Marse  John  Ran' olf  tuck. 

"  Po'  Marse  John  !  he  wuz  only'  jes' 
gwine  on  sixty  odd  w'en  he  wuz  called 
home  to  glory.  De  green  life  wid  its 
moss  en  ferns  en  wid  all  hits  buds  en 
twigs  wuz  bu'nt  out  by  de  fiahs  er  def. 
Yas,  I  knows  ez  well  ez  ef  I'd  been  dar 
dat  ole  man  Gabe  tooted  his  horn  loud 
en  cl'ar ;  dat  ole  man  Jacob  let  down  his 
lather  moughty  pleasin'  en  proud,  en 
ole  man  Peter  meked  a  moughty  jing- 


'STORICAL     JUELS  135 

lin'  wid  his  keys  eti  de  angels  tuned  dar 
harps  mo'  keerful  en  clared  dar  th'oats 
ter  sing  mo'  sweeter,  en  jedgment  day 
put  out  anudder  sign  dat  day  dat  Marse 
John  Ran'olf  die. 

' ' '  Pears  lak  ez  his  bref  swunk  away 
ter  a  th'ead,  dat  his  weary  eyes  wuz 
res' in  on  de  yaller  golden  fiel's  er 
waberin'  wheat  wid  ebby  haid  er  wheat 
kindlelighted  by  a  glowfly  lamp,  en 
dat  his  yeahs  wuz  a  lis'nin'  ter  a  sof 
cooin'  woice  fum  heaben,  singin'  a  low 
cradle  song. 

"  Po'  Marse  John  !  His  las'  sun  set 
in  de  Ian'  er  Filerdelfyer,  but  I  knows 
de  hand  er  redempshun  wuz  hilt  out 
ter  'iin  jes'  ez  keerful  ober  dar  in  Filer- 
delfyer ez  ef  he'd  been  in  ole  Fer- 
ginny.  De  angels  dat  de  Lord  sont 
fer  Marse  John's  sperit  steert  de  boat 


136  'STORICAL      JUELS 

ez  stret  fum  Filerdelfyer  ez  ef  dey'd 
put  it  aboa'd  at  de  Ole  Dominion 
w'arf  at  Riclimon'.  En  w'en  de  sun 
riz  de  naix  mawnin'  on  de  turer  sho' 
whar  de  ekkoes  er  dis  yer  worl'  kyan' 
soun'  I  b'leebe  dat  ef  you  could  er 
looked  thoo  de  clouds  you'd  er  seed 
Marse  John  wid  his  puny  li'P  haid,  en 
his  gre't  proud  spent  layin'  on  Marse 
Aberham's  sof  w'ite  buzzom,  peacebul 
en  pashunt  en  at  res'  at  las',  wid  de 
shackels  er  de  ye'th  done  loosted,  de 
bells  er  heaben  a  ringin',  en  de  angels 
en  archangels  en  mussy  en  lub  en  de 
sisterin'  all  'roun'  'im  shoutin'  glory 
halleluyer!  Dey  said  Marse  John's  li'l' 
corpse  didn'  look  mo'  dan  sixteen 
yeahs  ole,  en  dat  he  talked  up  ter  de 
las'  minit  ;  yas,  talked  'twel  he  got 
almos'  inside  er  de  walley  wid  de 


'STORICAL     JUELS  137 

shadder  er  def,  den  his  mouf  'gun  ter 
wiggle,  his  jaw  drapped  suddent  en 
Marse  John  wuz  daid.  Co'se  w'at  he 
said  at  de  las'  wuz  meant  fer  de  sperits, 
kaze  he  didn'  spuck  loud  nuff  fer 
nobody  but  sperits  ter  un'stan'  de 
meanin'. 

"Wen  po'  Marse  John  Ran'olf  wuz 
libin',  he  didn'  do  so  pow'ful  many 
stronagin'  t'ings  ez  he  did  perwentin' 
wicked  en  onwrong  t'ings  fum  bein' 
done.  I  disremembers  perzackly  de 
time  my  daddy  say  dat  Marse  John 
fought  dat  juel  wid  Marse  Henry  Clay, 
but  'twuz  endurin'  de  time  Marse 
John  Quinz  Adams  wuz  de  Pres'den' 
er  de  Nunited  States  er  Ferginny. 
Marse  John  Quinzy,  you  know,  wuz 
dat  Pres'den'  w'at  drapped  down  daid 
up  dar  at  de  Cap'  tol  dat  time,  en  dey 


138  'STORICAL     JUELS 

say  dat  ter  dis  ve'y  day,  ebby  yeah 
jes'  'bout  de  same  hour-dat  Marse  John 
Quinz  Adams  deceasted  dis  life  en 
drapped  daid,  his  po'  onres'les  ghos' 
kin  be  seen  prowlin'  'roun'  de  corde- 
roys,  en  dat  his  ghos'  gibs  kerrage  ter 
all  de  y udder  ghos'es,  en  dough  you 
kyan'  see  de  sperits  er  deze  onconse- 
quenshal  ghos'es  lak  you  kin  Marse 
John  Quinz  Adams  sperit,  you  kin 
year  'em  mekin'  de  bigges'  kin'  er 
rus'lin',  en  confabin1,  en  jabberin',  en 
roarin'  'roun',  en  buzzin' — a  clappin' 
fer  pages,  en  de  pages  a  runnin',  en  all 
de  lak  er  dat  de  whole  endurin'  time 
dat  Marse  John  Quinzy's  ghos'  is  out. 
"Dough  Marse  John  Quinz  Adams 
was  jamby  a  hundud  yeahs  ole  he 
wa'n't  nuttin'  lak  raidy  ter  deceast  his 
life  en  lay  down  ez  ghos'.  Some  say 


'STORICAL     JUELS  139 

'twuz  kaze  he  had  a  speech  he  want 
ter  mek  firs'  'fo'  he  go,  en  some  ag'in 
say  he  wuz  a  gre't  man  fer  wotin',  en 
dat  he  want  ter  wote  wid  his  party. 
Wat  dey  all  sez,  dough,  don'  encord 
wid  w'at  Marse  John  Quinz  Adams  say 
hisse'fwid  his  las'  bref,  w'ich  wuz  dat 
he  'wuz  content.'  But  den  ag'in 
w'en  you  looks  fuddermo',  how  is  you 
gwine  ter  put  any  'pendunce  in  dem 
las'  wuds  er  his'n  'bout  his  bein'  '  con- 
tent,' w'en  jes'  'bout  a  minit  'fo'  he 
said  dem  las'  two  wuds  he  said,  '  Dis 
am  de  een'  er  de  ye'th,'  en  we  all  know 
dat  ain't  so,  fer  de  ye'th  is  yer  yit. 

"  Marse  John  Quinz  Adams  ain't 
got  nuttin'  tall  in  de  Lawd's  worP  ter 
do  wid  dis  yer  juel  I's  gwine  ter  tell 
you  'bout,  en  I  don'  know  w'at  meked 
me  let  my  jaw  run  on  'bout  'im  lak  I 


140  'STORICAL     JUELS 

is,  so  I  better  g'long  back  ter  hit  'fo' 
I  lose  de  way  fer  good  en  all.  I 
'bleeged  ter  tell  you  de  trufe  at  de 
start,  en  dat  is,  Marse  John  Ran' olfwuz 
•entirely  ter  blame  fer  dis  juel,  fer  he 
'gun  de  qua'el  hisse'f  wid  Marse  Henry 
Clay.  You  see,  Marse  John  wuz 
moughty  high  sperited,  en  had  too 
much  strenkf  en  surwigusness  in  his 
temperashun  fer  his  own  good.  I 
dunno  w'at  he  en  Marse  Henry  Clay 
wuz  'sputin'  'bout,  but  I  does  know  dis, 
dat  Marse  John  called  Marse  Henry  out 
€r  his  name,  en  'suited  'im  ;  'suited 
'im,  too,  in  de  Senate-house,  'fo'  mo 
dan  a  hundud  peoples,  I  reckon. 
Co'se  dat  riz  de  anamus  in  Marse 
Henry's  breas\  en  he  tuck  Marse  John 
up,  en  reman'  dissatusfacshun.  Marse 
John  say  he  kin  hab  all  de  dissatus- 


'STORICAL     JUELS  141 

facshun  he  wants,  en  he  kin  hab  hit 
w'eu  en  whar  he  choose,  en  ret  dat 
minit  ef  he  laks. 

"All  dar  frien's  on  bofe  sides  dat 
yeard  'boutn  de  fuss  wuz  in  dead 
restress,  fer  ebbyboddy  knowed  dey 
wuz  bofe  er  'ein  de  bes'es  shots  in  de 
whole  Ian'.  Marse  John  p'intedly 
said,  dough,  fum  de  firs',  dat  he  wa'n't 
gwine  ter  mek  no  widderses  ner  orfan- 
ses  er  Marse  Henry's  fambly  ;  dat  co'se 
he  wuz  gwine  ter  shoot,  but  he  ain't 
say  whar  he  wuz  gwine  ter  p'int  his 
gun  w'en  he  do  shoot.  Dis  foolish- 
ness didn'  oncord  wid  de  noshunments 
er  Marse  John's  two  seckonses,  dat 
wuz  gwine  'long  wid  'im,  'cordin'  ter 
dar  'greement,  ter  he'p  'im  shoot 
Marse  Henry.  Marse  Ginul  Hamilton 
he  up  en  spuck  firs'.  He  wuz  lak 


142  'STORICAL      JUKLS 

Marse  John's  own  brudder,  Marse 
Ginul  Hamilton  wuz,  kaze  his  ma  en 
Marse  John's  ma  had  been  ez  familious 
ez  sisters  ebber  sence  dey  wuz  liT 
gals  tergedder,  en  he  'lowdat  ef  Marse 
John  wuz  gwine  ter  kyar  his  aigs-en- 
trikiness  ez  fur  ez  dat,  en  ack  ez  dad- 
blame  curisom  en  onreazenerubble  ez 
he  say  he  wuz  dat  he'd  be-dog  his  cats 
ef  he  wuz  gwine  wid  'im  one  step. 
Marse  Kun'el  Tattnell  j'ined  in  wid  de 
same  argufyments,  en  bofe  er  deze  gem- 
mens  'greed  dat  Marse  John  mus'  git 
some  yudder  frien's  ter  see  'im  shot 
down.  All  dat  Marse  John's  seckon- 
ses  could  say,  en  all  de  eminence  dat 
dey  brung  ter  byar,  didn'  onsottle 
Marse  John's  min'.  His  mill'  wuz 
meked  up  ter  shoot  in  de  a'r,  en  in  de 
a'r  he  wuz  gwine  ter  shoot,  but  he  say 


'STORICAL     JUELS  143 

he  gwine  ter  deceibe  Marse  Henry's 
load,  dough,  ret  in  de  breas',  kaze  he 
say  hit  don'  matter  ef  he  do  git  kilt, 
fer  dar  ain't  nobody  ter  greebe  atter 
'im  in  dis  wide  worl'  ;  dat  nobody 
ain't  gwine  drap  no  tears  on  de  green 
sob  dat  kibers  his  po'  wufless  kyarkis. 
My  daddy  never  say  how  hit  come 
'bout,  but  Marse  John  pas'fy  all  de  re- 
jecshuns  er  de  two  seckonses,  en  dey 
bofe  'greed  dat  dey'd  g'long  wid  'im 
howsomebber  hit  wuz,  en  let  'im  hab 
his  way. 

"Well,  w'en  de  'p'inted  time  come 
'long,  'peared  lak  dey  mus'  a  knowed 
all  'bout  de  trouble  ober  yonder  in  de 
promis'  Ian',  fer  de  sun  wuz  a  settin' 
lak  a  big  ball  er  fiah  in  a  burnin', 
blazin'  sky.  De  whole  heabens  wuz 
dat  yaller  dat  fum  w'at  dey  all  said  hit 


144  'STORICAL     JUELS 

mus'  a  look  lak  de  Tredegar  I' on 
Wuks  dar  in  Richmun'.  Marse  John 
he  got  ter  de  place  'bout  a  minit 
a-haid  er  de  'p'inted  time.  He  had  on 
a  swaller-tail  coat  wid  a  big  collar,  en 
de  buttons  on  hit  wuz  jamby  tetchin' 
wunner-nudder,  dough  de  onlyes'  but- 
ton dat  wuz  buttoned  up  wuz  de  one 
at  de  wais'.  Marse  Henry,  dough,  he, 
mun !  wuz  all  dressed  in  de  topknob 
er  de  fashion,  wid  a  fan-tail  coat  on, 
wid  de  buttons  on  hit  sot  way  fur 
apart. 

"Gre't  Gord  in  Heaben !  Gre't 
Cord  in  Heaben  !  dar  dem  two  gre't 
mens  stood  a  lookin'  at  wuuner-nud- 
der.  Wat  on  de  face  or  de  ye'th  does 
you  reckon  dey  wuz  study  in'  'bout, 
anyhow  ?  Hit  suttinly  wuz  turerble, 
fer  de  good  Lawd  don'  mek  a  pyar  er 


'STORICAL     JUELS  145 

mens  lak  dem  two  ebby  day,  en  dey  wuz 
bofe  brung  up  in  de  paff  dey  should 
go,  en  knowed  a  heap  better  dan  ter 
ack  lak  dey  wuz  gwine  ter  ack. 

"Pies' n'y  Marse  John's  eyes  hap- 
pened ter  drap  'pon  his  trigger,  en  he 
called  Marse  Gin'ul  Hamilton  en  tole 
'im  he  didn'  lak  a  hyar- trigger  fer  nut- 
tin'  .  Dat  a  hyar- trigger  wuz  lierbul  ter 
fly  off,  'fo'  you  knowed  hit;  en  a  nudder 
t'ing,  he  could  skasely  feel  de  totch 
er  a  hyar-trigger  thoo  his  buckskin 
glubs.  Wid  dat  Marse  Kun'el  Tat- 
nell  ter  'bleege  'im  went  for'ard  en 
hyard  de  trigger  fer  Marse  John,  w'en 
— piff-piff-pow  !  ker-blim-m-m  !  !  jes' 
lak  Marse  John  say  'twould,  de  gun 
went  off  wid  de  muzzle  een'  a  p'intin' 
to'ds  de  groun'.  Dat  meked  Marse 
Gin'ul  Jessup  t'arin'  down  mad,  en  he 


146  'STORICAL     JUELS 

hop  'roun'  skrumpshus  jes'  laka  tuckey 
gobbler  wid  a  fresh  tater-bug,  en  w'ile 
he  wuz  r'arin'  en  shtickin'  his  han's  en 
sw'arin'  'bout  w'at  he  wuz  gwine  ter 
do,  lak  he  wuz  jes'  lineded  thoo  en 
thoo  wid  emportance,  Marse  Henry 
Clay  bow  his  haid,  en  spuckup  firm 
en  strong.  His  woice  soun'  ez  cl'ar  ez 
a  bell.  He  look  ez  proud  ez  a  king, 
en  he  said:  'Geminen,  hit's  a  ax' dent; 
let  de  'rangements  perceed,  ef  you 
please.'  Wid  dat,  dey  all  er  'em  bow 
solumcholly.  Marse  Gin'ul  Jessup  (he 
wuz  Marse  Henry's  haid  man)  shet  up 
dat  minit.  Den  de  wud  wuz  gi'n  en 
de  '  rangements  perceeded.  Marse  John 
done  jes'  lak  he  said  he  was  gwine  ter 
do.  He  riz  up  his  gun  swiff'  en  fiah 
in  de  a'r.  Marse  Henry  shet  up  one 
eye  wid  'terminashun  en  tuck  daid 


'STORICAL     JUELS  147 

aim,  but  ez  good  luck  would  hab  hit,  fer 
de  ve'y  firs'  time  in  his  whole  endurin' 
life,  Marse  Henry  missed  his  mark. 

"  Marse  Henry  ain't  no  sooner  seed 
w'at  he  did  see,  en  got  a  cl'ar  un'er- 
stan'in'  'boutn  w'at  Marse  John  had 
done,  dan  he  bu'st  out  cryin'  en  flung 
his  gun  away  en  say,  '  My  Gord,  Ran- 
'olf ;  my  Gord,  ole  feller  ;  I  preh  ter 
Heaben  I  ain't  totcht  you.'  Wid  dat 
dey  bofe  er  'em  shuck  han's  en  hug 
wunner-nudder  en  meked  up.  Some 
says  dey  kissed  ;  but  I  dunno.  En 
dat  wuz  de  een'  er  dat  moughty  'stor- 
ikal  juel.  De  way  I  tole  you  is  de 
stret  way,  wud  fer  wud,  jes'  lak  I 
yeard  hit  fum  my  daddy's  own  mouf, 
en  he  wuz  dar  —  ret  on  de  spot,  en  he 
knowed,  fer  he  yeard  hit  all  —  en  he 
seed  hit  all. 


148  'STORICAL      JUELS 


"  DE  YUDDER  juel  I  yeard  my  daddy 
tell  'bout  was  fought  up  dar  in  Lee 
County,  en  ebbybody  gin  hit  up,  dat 
dat  juel  wuz  de  outnes'  juel  ebber 
fought  in  dem  parts  er  any  yudder  parts, 
ez  ter  dat.  Hit  wuz  fought  'bout  de 
same  time  ez  Marse  John's  en  Marse 
Henry's  juel  wuz  fought,  too.  Sep'n 
de  Lee  County  juel  wuz  s\\Q-rmfffottght. 
Anudder  diffunce  wuz  dat  de  Lee 
County  juel  was  fought  twix'  two  big 
niggers.  Bofe  niggers,  too,  wuz  ez 
brack  ez  de  pot.  One  nigger  b' longed 
ter  Marse  Henry  Lee,  who  wuz  de 
Gubner  er  Ferginny,  en  de  turer  nig- 
ger b' longed  ter  de  Joneses  dat  libed 
at  Joneswill.  Nigger  tradiii'  wuz  de 
'kazhun  er  afojuel  bein'  fought.  En 
hit  all  come  'bout  lak  dis : 


'STORICAL     JUELS  149 

uDe  Joneses  tuck  en  trade  dar 
bricklayer  off  fer  a  ret  bret-skin,  lakly- 
lookin'  merlatter  gal,  en  gin  two 
hundud  dollars  ter  boot.  De  trade 
wuz  wid  a  fambly  libin'  at  Knoxwill, 
'bout  sixty  miles  funi  whar  dey  libed. 

"Well,  two  er  de  Joneswill  niggers 
got  ter  broozin'  'roun',  en  palaverin' 
wid  dis  gal,  'twel  dey  got  darse'fs  haid 
ober  heels  in  lub  wid  her,  er  got  cun- 
jered,  one  er  de  yudder.  'Deed  I 
dunno  w'ich  'twuz,  cunjer  er  lub,  bofe 
has  de  same  symp'  urns  ;  any-how-som- 
ebber,  w'edder  'twuz  cunjer  er  w'ed- 
der  'twuz  lub,  bofe  niggers  'clared  'fo' 
Gord,  dat  dey  wuz  gwine  ter  hab 
Marse  Henry  Lee's  gal  ef  dey  kin  git 
her.  Mo'  dan  dat,  dey  'lowed  dat  dey 
ain't  gwine  ter  ax  no  odds  ner  inter- 
wenshuns  fum  wunner-nudder,  needer. 


150  'STORICAL     JUELS 

"  De  gal  she  mought  er  had  a  sweet- 
heart in  Knoxwill  fer  all  dem  two 
niggers  knowed.  Anyhow,  she  ain't 
nebber  been  axt  ter  choose  'twix'  em, 
so  co'se  she  hadn'  gib  no  qualifyka- 
shuns  ter  needer  one  'bout  w'ich  she 
laked  de  bes'.  She  wtiz  soshubble  jes* 
de  same  wid  bofe.  She  rnought  er 
laked  one  mo'  dan  de  y  udder,  but  ef  she 
did  she  nebber  signerfy  w'ich  one 
'twuz.  One  wuz  jes'  ez  insecatin'  ter 
her  ez  de  yudder,  so  fur  ez  anybody 
seed  er  knowed. 

"T'ings  went  'long  lak  dis  'twel 
maple-sugar  time,  w'en  bofe  niggers 
ineked  a  termnaslmn  in  dar  min's  ter 
put  a  een'  ter  dar  'spishuns  'bout 
wunner-nudder,  en  a  een'  ter  dar  wor- 
riments  'bout  de  gal,  en  ter  fin'  out 
who  wuz  w'ich  en  w'ich  wuz  who, 


'STORICAL     JUELS  151 

wid  her.  Dougli  bofe  de  mens  had 
been  speechless,  en  onfrien'less,  wid 
wunner-nudder  ebber  sense  dey  firs' 
'skivered  de  turer  one's  detenshuns, 
dey  had  been  'bleeged  ter  wuk  sides 
by  sides. 

"  Well,  hit  come  'long  to'ds  de  een' 
er  de  sugar-bilin',  en  one  Saddy  de 
havrn  bio  wed  fer  de  han's  ter  lay  off 
dar  wuk  'twel  Monday,  lak  hit  in 
gen' ally  does  uver  Saddy.  Dem  two 
gre't  big  brack  nigger  lubbers  wuz 
wukin'  sides  by  sides  lak  I  tole  you, 
en  w'en  de  hawn  gin  de  las'  toot,  dey 
stopped  en  ball  dar  eyes  'roun'  at 
wuuner-nudder  fer  a  minit,  en  den 
dey  drapped  dar  wuk  en  dar  eyes  bofe, 
en  went  'long  down  ter  de  creek  en 
tuck  a  swim.  Atter  dey'd  washed  dar- 
se'fs  dey  went  ter  dar  quarters  en  dressed 


152  'STORICAL      JUELS 

darse'fs  up  in  dar  bes'  Sunday-go-ter- 
meetin'  close.  Den  dey  tuck  de  li'P 
cakes  er  maple  sugar  all  cut  in  squar's, 
en  hearts,  en  diamonds,  en  rabbits,  en 
mens  en  hoss  shapes  dat  dey'd  bofe 
been  a  sabin'  up,  en  dey  fixed  'em  in  de 
diffunt  wilier  baskits  dat  dey  had  each 
meked  darse'fs  uver  nights.  Den  dey 
kivered  de  baskits  ober  wid  clean 
corn  shucks, — wid  de  shucks  all 
tasseled  out  at  de  een's.  Den  dey 
w'isserled  ter  dar  dorgs,  en  hangt  dar 
baskits  on  de  een's  er  dar  sticks,  en 
hangt  de  sticks  ober  dar  shoul'ers,  en 
den  dey  started  off  down  de  road  bofe 
tergedder,  needer  one  sayin'  nuttin' 
ter  wunner-nudder. 

"Jerushe,  dat  wuz  de  name  er  de 
gal,  wuz  jes'  thoo  wid  de  week's  darn- 
in'  w'en  she  looked  up  en  seed  de  two 


'STORICAL     JUELS  153 

mens,  wid  dar  two  dorgs  a  foil' in  on 
behime  'em,  comin'  on  thoo  de  road 
gate.  De  gal  tuck  hit  all  in.  She 
seed  de  wukkins  er  dar  min's,  she 
seed  how  dem  mens  wuz  raserlin'  fer 
her  wid  de  ole  boy.  'Twa'n't  proned 
inter  de  gal  ter  be  'sateful,  but  she 
know'd  she  wus  'bleege  ter  be  so  den, 
fer  dough  dem  two  mens  wuz  ez 
'umble  ez  de  naix  w'en  dey  wa'n't 
tarryfied,  she  knowed  dat  w'en  dar 
Af'kin  blood  wuz  up  dar  wa'n't  no 
subjewin'  er  dar  rashfulness.  Ez  she 
watched  'em,  she  got  mo'  en  mo' 
skeered  'bout  de  consequenchals,  en 
she  'terinint  dat  she  ain't  gwine  ter 
mek  no  extinshun  ter  he'p  on  dar  con- 
fracshuns,  so  w'en  dey  offud  her  de 
maple  sugar  she  say  she  much  'bleeged 
ter  'em  bofe,  ''deed  she  wuz,  but  she 


154  'STORICAL      JUELS 

kyan'  'cept  hit.  She  say  she  got  mo* 
maple  sugar  now  dan  she  kin  eat,  en 
ag'in  she  say  maple  sugar  allers  meks 
her  teef  ake,  en  dat  hit  don'  'gree  wid 
her  nohow ;  dat  ez  fer  her,  she'd  heap 
rudder  hab  'lasses  any  day.  Wid  dat 
bofe  de  niggers  tu'ned  en  styared  at  her 
lak  dey  wuz  gwine  ter  eat  her  up.  Den 
dey  tu'ned  en  ball  dar  eyes  at  wunner- 
nudder,  'twel  'deed  dar  eyes  'peared  lak 
two  big  w'ite  chana  sassers  sot  in  dar 
haids,  but  dey  ain't  say  nuttin'.  Den 
dey  lit  out  en  tote  deyse'fs  off,  en  leP 
de  sugar  en  de  gal,  bofe  er  'em  terged- 
der,  settin'  dar  on  de  weabin'-room  do' 
steps.  Deyjes'  w'isserled  ter  dar  dorgs 
en  went  'long  outn  de  gate.  Wen 
dey  got  ter  dar  quarters  dey  bofe  retcht 
up  en  tuck  dar  rifleses  down  ofFn  de 
j'?ce  widout  sayin'  nuttin'  ter  wunner- 


'STORICAL      JUELS  155 

nudder  ag'in,  eii  went  'long  to'ds  de 
Cuin'lan'  Mount' ins,  en  didn'  stop 
'twel  dey  git  jes'  dis  side  de  Kentuck' 
line. 

"  Dar  in  dem  lonesome  woods  'neaf 
de  big,  strong  oaks,  de  bitter-hearted 
dog- woods,  de  low-sperited  willows,  de 
jack-tar  ash  trees,  de  spyin'  sweet 
gumses,  de  sykermore  tu'n-coats,  de 
copybook  beeches,  de  sunshine  hick- 
orys,  de  grabeyard  walnut,  de  vain- 
jedgement  cherry  trees,  de  wounded- 
scarry  bloody  sugar-maples.  Dar 
whar  de  sun  nebber  shine  'pon  de 
brack  ye'th,  wid  de  win'  mekin'  no 
diffunces,  but  howlin'  en  w'isserlin'  en 
rus'lin'  thoo  de  crooked  en  de  stret,  de 
low  en  de  tall  trees,  jes'  de  same.  De 
Powel  Riber  jamby  at  'em,  too,  ro'in' 
en  splashin'  en  a  sputterin'.  Dar  dem 


156  'STORICAL     JUKLS 

two  big  brack  nigger-mens,  widout  no 
seckon's,  widout  no  doctors,  widout  no 
nuttin',  went  ter  'stroy  dar  own 
souls  en  dar  w'ite  folks'  prop'ty. 

"Well,  suh.!  up  ter  de  ve'y  las'  de 
two  raens  didn'  skasely  look  to'ds 
wunner-nudder,  let  'lone  speak.  Dey 
bofe  went  ter  wuk  ez  hard  ez  dey  could 
en  tuck  en  cl'ared  away  de  underbresh. 
Den  dey  meajered  offn  de  fifteen  pas- 
in's,  tuck  dar  places  darse'fs,  drapped 
a  w'ite  corn  shuck,  kaze  dey  didn'  hab 
no  hank'cher  ter  drap,  en  count  studdy 
en  solemn,  One — Two — Th'eel!  Den 
wid  all  de  kurridge  in  de  worl'  dey 
gin  out  dat  li'l'  wud  at  de  same  time, 
bofe  tergedder — NOW  !  At  de  soun' 
er  dat  wud  bofe  niggers  fiahed — bofe 
er  'em  drapped — bofe  wuz  shot  in  dar 
breas'es.  One  wuz  daid.  He  deceasted 


'STORICAL     JUELS  157 

hit  time  he  drapped.  De  yudder  one 
dat  wuz  shot  wuz  hit  in  de  ret  breas',, 
en  he  li'l'  mo'  en  deceasted  hit,  too, 
but  atter  he'd  steamed  up  a  li'l'  bref 
he  stuft  his  ole  hat  in  de  woun'  ter 
stop  de  bleedin',  en  meked  out  ter 
crawl  ter  de  roadside,  whar  he  lay  suf- 
f'in'  en  prehin'  fer  he'p  'twel  de  foil' in' 
Chuzedy  'bout  sunrise  in  de  mawnin'. 
"Dat  gal,  Jerushe,  knowed  sump'n 
turerble  wuz  gwine  ter  happen.  She 
sot  de  sugar  dey  lef '  behime  'em  away 
in  de  cubbud;  one  er  de-baskits  she  sot 
keerful  up  'pon  de  top  she'f  en  rol' 
her  eyes  up  sideways  at  hit,  but  de 
turrer  one  she  sot  on  de  flo'  en  shobed 
hit  in  de  cornder  wid  her  foots  widout 
eben  lookin'  to'ds  hit.  Den  she  look 
up  at  de  baskit  on  de  top  she'f  lubbin',. 
en  breaved  hard.  Den  she  locked  de 


158  'STORICAL     JUELS 

do'  en  bu'st  out  cryin'  en  tie  up  her 
haid  wid  a  cullud  leaf,  en  tell  her 
young  Missis  dat  she  feel  moughty 
po'ly ;  dat  she  had  a  bunch  er  pains  all 
ober  her  en  a  awful  miz'ry  in  her  back, 
en  dat  she  didn'  feel  well,  nohow. 

u  Dat  night,  dough  de  gal  didn' 
especk  ter  see  needer  one  er  de  mens, 
she  kep'  a  lookin'  fer  'em  jes'  de  same 
ez  ef  she  had  knowed  dey  wuz  sho'ly 
comin',  en  ebby  time  de  dorgs  bark  she 
runned  ter  de  do'  ez  hard  ez  she  could 
split,  en  looked  out.  De  naix  mawnin' 
she  was  so  pestered  she  wuz  sick  sho- 
nuff.  Wile  she  wuz  onkomin'  her 
young  Missis'  hyar  she  axt  her  would 
she  en  de  young  Marser  (dat  wuz  gwine 
ter  be)  w'en  dey  driv  out  tergedder  dat 
mawnin',  dribe  by  de  Hom'ny  quarters 
en  leab  a  baskit  dar  fer  her.  'Twuz 


'STORICAL     JUELS  159 

dat  baskit  dat  she  'poz'ted  on  de  flo'. 
Her  young  Missis  tole  her,  '  Yas,  sut- 
tinly  she  would,'  en  tole  her  to  g'long 
en  fetch  hit  en  put  hit  un'neaf  de 
seat. 

4 "Feared  lak  ter  Jerushe  dat  her 
young  Missis  en  de  young  Marser  (dat 
wuz  gwine  ter  be)  wuz  gwine  ter  tek 
all  day  ter  go  en  come.  She  gun  ter 
watch  fer  'em  time  dey  lef  de  house 
'twel  she  seed  'em  comin'  back  ag'in. 
Po'  gal !  she  couldn'  ten'  ter  her  wuk 
fer  lookin'  up  de  lane,  en  time  dey  bofe 
driv  in  sight,  dar  she  wuz,  waitin'  in 
de  road  ter  open  de  gate  fer  'em.  Wen 
she  seed  dey  had  brung  de  baskit 
back  wid  'em,  she  trembled  en  got 
queachy  all  ober;  en  w'en  her  young 
Missis  tole  her  dat  de  two  mens 
wa'n't  at  de  quarters,  en  wa'n't  eben 


160  'STORICAL     JUELS 

on  de  premusses,  en  dat  dar  hogs  en 
kattles  hadn'  been  fed,  ner  nuttin' 
hadn'  been  'tended  ter,  iier  a  lick  er 
wuk  hadn'  been  struck  sence  Saddy 
eb'nin',  she  reelt  en  skeerted  'roun'  so 
she  jamby  fell  un'neaf  de  gig  w'eels 
(in  dem  days  dey  rid  in  gigs  en  rocker- 
ways  sep'n  w'en  dar  wuz  mo'  ter  ride 
dan  de  gigs  en  rockerways  hilt ;  den 
dey  hitched  up  de  carriages).  W'en 
Jerushe  come  to  she  tole  her  young 
Missis  all  'bout  de  sugar,  en  'bout  de 
two  niggers  ballin'  dar  eyes  at  wunner- 
nudder,  en  'bout  de  s'pishuns  dat  had 
been  'sturbin'  her  inin'  ebber  sence 
she  stood  en  watched  'em  gwine  up  de 
lane  tergedder,  en  she  say  she  b'leebed 
dat  dey  had  bofe  kilt  wunner-nudder. 
D'reckly  de  gal  tole  her  young  Missis 
'bout  her  s'pishuns  de  ve'y  same 


'STORICAL     JUELS  l6l 

s'pishuns  kotch  holt  er  her,  too,  eu 
'pear  lak  ebbybody  else  tuck  up de  same 
notion,  so  dat  'fo'  sunset  dat  same  night 
de  whole  nayberhood,  paterrollers  en 
all,  had  tu'nt  out  ter  he'p  fin'  de 
two  missin'  niggers.  Dey  s'arched 
ebby  place  in  de  rackerlackshun  er  de 
oldes'  pusson,  en  atter  de  folks  had  all 
'zorsted  dar  min's  dey  sont  en  got  de 
paterroller's  bloodhoun's  (de  blood- 
houn's  min's,  you  know,  is  up  dar 
noses) ;  en  deze  houn's  scented  de  two 
mens,  en  tracked  'em  ter  de  place 
whar  I  tole  you  'bout  up  dar  in  de 
Cum' Ian'  Mount' ins. 

"  De  strenkf  er  lub  suttinly  is  pow- 
'ful.  Sometimes  hit  gibs  folks  fo'- 
sights  dat's  jes'  ebby  grain  ez  true 
ez  dar  hin'- sights  ;  en  dat  gal  Jem- 
she's  fo'- sights  led  her  ter  dem  unbe- 


l62  'STORICAL     JUELS 

knownst,  dark,  lonesome  woods  'fo' 
ebeu  de  bloodhoun's  had  scented  de 
place  out.  Yes,  lub  sho'ly  mus'  er 
led  dat  gal  dar,  widout  co'se,  ez  I  said 
'fo',  'twuz  cunjer. 

"Gals  en  women  folks  suttinly  is 
cur'ous,  anyhow.  Dey  say  dis  yer 
gal  nebber  tuck  no  notus  er  de  'seech- 
in'  look  er  de  firs'  one  dat  wuz  layin'  on 
de  aidge  er  de  woods-paff,  but  dat  she 
run  pas'  'im,  mos'  'st' acted,  en  flung 
herse'fon  de  turrer  one's  breas', — de 
one  dat  was  kilt, — en  w'en  she  seed  dat 
he  wuz  daid,  Lawd  !  Lawd  !  her  re- 
stress  was  turerble. 

"Dar  wuz  de  daid  man's  po'  li'l'  fice 
dorg  settin'  by  'im  on  his  behime  laigs, 
ha'f  starbed.  En  dat  dorg  had  dat 
much  insticks  dat  nar'  nudder  pusson 
dar' sen' t  tetch  his  Marser's  lich  (a  nig- 


'STORICAL     JUELS  163 

ger  kin  be  a  dorg's  Marser,  you  know} 
sep'u  dat  gal  Jerushe  widout  de  dorg's 
r'arin'  up  at  'em  lak  he  wuz  gwine  tei 
t'ar  'em  all  ter  flinders.  Enhitsuttinly 
waspiterful  ter  see  dat  po'  gal's  restress. 
"Wen  all  de  yudders  git  dar  wid  de 
bloodhoun's,  en  seed  de  sight  er  po' 
Jerushe' s  'flickshun  hit  werryd  'em  all 
mought'ly,  en  bimeby-pres'n'y,  w'en 
she  wuz  greebiu'  lak  her  heart  would 
bu'st  wide  open,  en  dey  wuz  all  er  'em 
tryin'  ter  comfort  her,  en  wuz  a  sayin' 
'  Po'  gal  !  Po'  gal !'  ter  her,  en  'seech- 
in'  her  ter  supjew  her  greebin',  de 
li'l'  yaller  fice-dorg,  wid  tears  in  his 
eyes — fer  dorgs  kin  cry — tu'nt  'roun' 
en  'gun  ter  lick  de  gal's  han's,  en  hit 
'peared  lak  dat  de  lickin'  er  her  lub- 
ber's dorg  swaged  her  restress  mo'  dan 
any t' ing  dat  de  real  folks  had  said,  fer 


1 64  'STORICAL     JUELS 

she  uebber  cleped  a  nudder  soun'  alter 
dat,  but  got  quiet  all  ter  a  suddent 
Den  de  folks  went  up  ter  her  en  try  ter 
perswage  her  ter  g'long  back  home 
wid  'ein  ter  her  young  Missis,  en  tole 
her  how  dat  Ung  Tim  en  Ung  Sam 
wuz  gwine  ter  stay  dar  wid  her  beau 
'twel  de  umbertekers  come  wid  de 
coffin  ter  put  'im  in. 

"  But  Jerushe  nebber  'spon  ter  nut- 
tin',  dey  said.  She  nebber  budge,  ner 
nebber  tuck  no  notus  er  none  er  dar 
arguefyments.  Some  er  de  mens  thunk 
de  gal's  worryments  inus'  er  stunted 
her  ter  mek  her  lay  so  still  all  uver 
suddent.  De  maj'stret,  dough,  thunk 
diffunt  fum  de  yudders,  en  he  spuck 
up  en  say,  he  don'  bleebe  she  wuz 
stunted  ;  he  bleebed  she  wuz  play  in' 
'possum.  Anyhow,  he  say,  w'edder 


'STORICAL     JUELS  165 

she  is  er  w'edder  she  ain't,  he  ain't 
got  no  time  ter  fool  wid  a  good-fer- 
nuttin',  lazy,  stubbo'n  nigger.  Wid 
dat  he  kotch  holt  er  bofe  er  de  gal's 
arms  en  drug  her  ret  up  offn  de  corpse. 
Hit  suttinly  wuz  skan'lus  in  de  maj's- 
tret  ter  do  po'  Jerushe  dat  away!  fer 
she  wa'n't  stunted  ;  needer  wuz  she 
play  in'  'possum — Jerushe  wuz  daid  ! 

"Wen  de  maj'stret  seed  dat  de 
po'  gal  wuz  sho'-nuff  daid,  he  look 
moughty  shame-face  en  hang-dorg 
'bout  de  way  he  had  ack  ;  but  I'll  say 
dis  much  fer  'im  ;  he  suttinly  spuck 
out  honerble  lak  a  gemman  en  say 
'fo'  all  han's  er  de  mens — 'My  Gord! 
my  Gord ! !  I  nebber  would  hab 
bleebed  dat  a  nigger  could  a  died 
fum  grief  lak  dis,  ef  I  hadn'  a  seed 
hit  wid  my  own  eyes.' 


1 66  'STORICAL     JUELS 

"Den  de  maj'stret  tuck  de  gal  up 
jes'  ez  sof  en  gentle  ez  ef  she'd  been  a 
w'ite  lady  en  lay  her  back  'longside  er 
her  po'  daid  lubber. 

"Wen  de  maj'stret  had  fixed  'em 
tergedder  sides  by  sides  he  looked 
down  at  'em  bofe  fer  a  minit  in  a  deep 
studdy;  den  he  retched  ober  de  gal- 
corpse  en  onlinkt  a  piece  er  de  man- 
corpse's  brass  watch-chain  en  meajered 
hit  'roun'  de  size  er  de  gal-corpse's  fin- 
ger; den  he  tuck  his  jack-knife  en  en- 
j'ined  de  chain-links  tergedder,  en 
meked  a  ring  outn  hit.  Den  he  put 
de  ring  dat  he  meked  in  de  man- 
corpse's  han'.  Wen  he  had  done  dat, 
he  tuckoffhis  own  hat  en  looked  'roun' 
solemn  at  de  yudders  en  say — 'Gem- 
men,  bemobe  yo'  hats,  ef  you  please/ 
En  de  gemmen  all  bemobed  dar  hats. 


'STORICAL     JUELS  167 

Den  he  rollt  his  eyes  up  ter  Heaben 
ter  call  de  good  Lawd's  detenshun 
down  ter  'em.  Den  he  opened  his 
motif  en  spuck  de  wtids.  En  dar  'pon 
de  hill-top,  un'neaf  de  moughty  trees, 
way  up  in  de  Cum' Ian'  Mount' ins, 
whar  dis  'storical  juel  wuz  sho-'nuff 
fought  (no  p'intin'  in  dea'r — nomissin' 
er  de  mark,  en  huggin'  er  wunner- 
nudder  atterwuds)  de  maj'stret  spuck 
de  wuds  er  de  Law  en  de  Gorspel — en 
mar'ed  de  two  corpses  ter  wunner- 
nudder  in  one  flesh,  dat  is,  ef  a  maj's- 
tret er  de  law  en  de  wuds  er  de  chutch 
en  a  weddin'  ring  kin  mek  a  mar'i'ge. 
De  maj'stret  hilt  de  husband  corpse's 
brack  stiff  han'  en  meked  hit  wiggle 
de  weddin'  ring  on  de  wife-corpse's 
liT  yaller  limber  finger. 

"Wen  de  maj'stret  wuz  thoo  wid 


168  'STORICAL     JUELS 

de  sumery  en  had  denounct  'em  bofe 
ez  man  en  wife,  he  said  :  'Gemmen, 
let  us  all  kneel  in  praher.'  En  dar  on 
de  brack  ye'th,  wid  de  blood  marks 
bespattered  all  'roun'  'em,  wid  dar 
haids  byar,  de  gemmens  all  kneelt  en 
said  de  Lawd's  Praher — dat  is,  dem 
dat  knowed  de  Lawd's  Praher,  said  hit; 
en  dem  dat  didn'  know  hit  follered  de 
yudders  de  bes'  dey  could.  De  po' 
dorg  sot  en  watcht  'em,  but  needer 
did  he  bark,  ner  needer  did  he  w'ine, 
but  he  trembled  all  ober,  dough,  jes' 
lak  he  had  a  hard,  shekin'  ager.  De 
hosses  en  de  mules  whar  de  mens  had 
rid  up  dar  on,  en  whar  wuz  tied  ter  de 
trees,  stomped  en  stomped  dar  hoofs 
en  whickered  en  whinnied  w'ile  dey 
wuz  all  aprayin',  'twel  you'd  a  thunk 
de  witches  wuz  a  ridin'  'em.  De 


'STORICAL     JUELS  169 

yolps  en  de  cries  er  de  blue-mottled  en 
brack-en-tan,  lank-shin  houn'  dorgs, 
ezde  fox  doubled  on  'em,  echoed  en 
echoed  thoo  de  trees  wid  de  wuds 
'  Dy  Kingdom  come,  Dy  will  be  done. ' 
Hit  suttinly  wuz  a  solemn,  skeerish 
time.  But  I  gwine  ter  tell  you  all 
one  t'ing,  jes'  ez  sho'  ez  you  en  me  is 
bawn,  en  dat  is  dis  :  dar's  gwine  ter  be 
one  'sprized  nigger  ober  yonder  w'en 
he  gits  'cross  de  ribber  Jorden,  en 
clumbs  up  de  golden  styars  en  gits  safe 
inside  de  promis'  Ian',  en  fin's  out 
whose  been  layin'  'long  side  er  'im 
down  dar  in  de  Cum' Ian'  Mount' ins. 

"  De  mens  tried  ter  perswage  de  daid 
nigger's  po'  HT  ha'f-starbed  dorg,  wid 
wittles  en  w'istles  bofe,  ter  g'long 
back  home  wid  'em.  Den  dey  start 
ter  tek  'im  en  kyar  him  'long  any 


170  'STORICAL     JUELS 

how,  but  de  po'  li'l'  feller  howled  so 
piterbul  dat  dey  all  went  'long  back 
widout  'im,  en  lef  im'  dar  keepin' 
comp'ny  wid  de  bride  en  groom  'twel 
Ung  Sam  en  de  yudders  could  git 
dar  wid  de  coffin. 

"  Ez  dey  wuz  all  ridin'  long  by  dat 
yudder  Joneswille  nigger  de  maj'stret 
got  offn  his  horse  en  tuck  out  his 
tickler,  en  gib  de  po'  man  a  dram,  den 
he  gib  de  tickler  ter  one  er  de  mens  en 
tole  'im  ter  stay  dar  wid  de  po'  suff'rer 
en  do  all  he  kin  fer  'im  'twel  de  doctor 
en  de  steer  kyart  could  git  dar. 

' '  W  ile  de  maj '  stret  wuz  giben  de  man 
deze  yer  orders,  a  nudder  one  er  de 
mens  wuz  tellin'  de  Joneswille  nigger 
'boutn  de  mar' in'.  Well,  suh,  ef  you 
b'leebe  me,  dat  dyin'  nigger's  eyes  'jes 
blar'd  en  glar'd  en  wall'd  up  lak  a  wil' 


'STORICAL     JUELS  171 

tagger's,  en  fo'  dey  all  knowed  w'at  he 
wuz  gwine  ter  do,  he  jukt  up  his  gun, 
he  did,  en  p'inted  hit  stret  to'ds  de 
maj'stret.  P'intin'  wuz  all  de  po'  nig- 
ger's strenkf  hilt  out  tu  do,  fer  his 
finger  trombled  ez  hit  tetched  'g'iust 
de  trigger,  en  his  gun  en  his  jaw  bofe 
drapped  suddent.  His  eyes  rollt  back- 
'ards  lak  a  caged  lion's  dat  kyan'  he'p 
hitse'f,  en  his  sperit  lipped  outn  his 
brack  body  wid  a  roar. 

"  Bofe  de  Joneswille  niggers  wuz 
corpses.  One  baskit  er  sugar  on  de 
she'f  en  de  y udder  one  on  de  flo'. 

"Way  up  dar  on  de  top  er  de  hill 
ter  dis  day  is  two  grabes  layin'  sides 
by  sides.  De  bride  en  de  groom  sleeps 
tergedderpeacerbulinwunner-nudder's 
arms  in  one  er  de  grabes.  En  in  de 
turrer  grabe  dat  yudder  po'  fersooken, 


172  'STORICAL     JUELS 

lonesome  Joneswille  nigger  twisses  en 
tosses  en  tu'ns  'bout  uver  day  all  by 
his  po'  lonesome  se'f,  wid  murder  in 
his  heart,  en  his  sugar  on  de  flo',  en 
uver  nights  his  cures' less  sperit  ha'nts 
de  woods  en  prowls  'roun'  'boutn  de 
whole  place  whar  dat  turrerble  juel  wuz 
fought  eu  whar  de  soun'  er  dar  guns 
wuz  echoed. 

"  All  th'ee  er  de  corpses  wuz  bur'ed 
de  same  day,  but  de  niggers  ain't 
neber  got  thoo  habin'  fune'als  ober  'em 
all  yit.  En  de  consequenshals  er  dis 
juel  is  gwine  ter  las'  plum  'twel  de 
goats  en  de  sheeps  is  'wided  up  on 
Jedgeinent  Day  en  one  er  de  y udder  is 
put  out  ter  pastur'.  Fer  dat  giner- 
ashun  er  niggers  en  ebby  ginerashuii 
er  niggers  dat's  been  sence  den,  is  had 
foughts  en  quar'ls,  en  'sputes,  en  fusses 


'STORICAL     JUELS  173 

'bout  'who  'gun  de  qua'rl '  en 
'  whose  fault  hit  all  wuz  ' ;  but  de 
mos'  er  'em  dough,  I  mus'  say,  in 
gen'ally  puts  all  de  blame  on  de  pd1 gal. 
"  Aun'  Judy  say  she  wuz  out  at  de 
wood-pile  choppin'  up  her  light' ood 
fer  inawnin'  w'en  de  two  Joneswille 
niggers  come  long  by  her  wid  dar 
guns,  but  she  say  she  'low  ter  herse'f 
dat  dey  wuz  bofe  runnin'  way  fum  dar 
owners,  en  wuz  gwine  on  thoo  de  lines 
whar  all  de  niggers  you  know  is  free 
niggers.  She  say  dat  dat  wuz  de 
reason  she  didn'  say  nuttin'  'tall  ter 
her  w'ite  folks  ner  ter  nobody  else 
'bout  seein'  'em.  She  say  dat  de  nig- 
ger dat  got  kilt  firs'  tu'nt  roun'  atter 
he  had  passed  by  her,  lak  he  had  a  re- 
sentment dat  sump'n  wuz  gwine  ter 
happen,  en  say  ter  her,  '  Ger-by,  Aun' 


174  'STORICAL      JUEI<S 

Judy;  tek  keer  er  vo'se'f,  en  gib  iny 
lub  ter  mammy,  en  'member  me  ter 
Sis  Abby. '  Den  she  say  de  yudder  one 
he  come  'long  en  looked  back  ober  his 
shouPer  en  say,  'Ger-by,  Ann'  Judy, 
tell  all  our  folks,  Howdy.'  Aun' 
Judy  say  she  say  ter  herse'f,  'twa'n't 
none  er  her  bizness  ter  be  tellin'  w'at 
she  seed,  en  so  atter  dat  she  nebber 
thunk  no  mo'  'bout  hit,  she  jes'  kep' 
on  splittin'  up  her  kin'lin'  en  puttin' 
up  her  light' ood  en  singin'  'Wen 
I  kin  read  my  title  cl'ar.'  " 


************* ¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥ 

PICKETT  AND  HIS  MEN 

BY 

LASALLE  CORBELL  PICKETT 

(Mrs.  Gen.  George  E.  Pickett) 


IN   THE  THIRD   THOUSAND 


One  of  the  most  fascinating  pieces  of  biographical  writing 
that  has  recently  been  published  in  this  country. 

— Review  of  Reviews. 

She  writes  without  bitterness,  and  her  sympathy  with 
the  Southern  cause  and  its  leaders  does  not  lead  her  into  one- 
sided estimates  of  the  war  as  a  whole.—  The  Chicago  Record. 

Has  its  peculiar  charms.— New  York  Times. 

It  contributes  materially  to  our  knowledge  of  Pickett,  the 
man,  and  strengthens  the  impression,  always  cherished  in  the 
South,  that  his  magnificent   courage  was   united  with   a  heart 
of  womanly  tenderness  and  a  character  in  every  way  lovable. 
— New  Orleans  Picayune. 

Told  with  a  fire  and  style  that  carries  the  reader  along 
despite  himself,  and  makes  him  imagine  that  he  lived,  for  the 
time  being,  among  the  famous  personages  and  the  great 
events  that  are  recounted.  New  York  Tribune. 

She  makes  no  timid  apologies  in  deference  to  changed 
conditions,  but  at  the  same  time  she  writes  in  such  sweet 
temper  that  her  work  throughout  breathes  the  violet  aroma 
of  complete  reconciliation. — Atlanta  Constitution. 

Size.  6%x8%;  Binding,  cloth,  stamped  in  gold; 
Pmges,  439;  Price,  $2.00. 

ttbe  fteale  Co.,  publishers 

431  Eleventh  Street  TOUabington,  E>.  C. 

************* 4***44******* 


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